


Beautiful New Light of Day

by Shawn30



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Bendemption, Devoted Reylo, Domestic Reylo, Drama & Romance, F/M, First Time, Force Bond Shenanigans, Healing, Lust, Passion, Porn With Plot, Sexy Vacationing Reylo, Smut, The Rise of Skywalker Fix-it, Tros fix-it, learning to love, name kink, no slow burn, talking things out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:54:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 47,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22294372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shawn30/pseuds/Shawn30
Summary: Ben's family comes to his aid in his darkest hour, paving the way for a true and final victory over Emperor Palpatine and a future with Rey. (TROS Fix-It)Chapter 4: Rose and Rey catch up on the eve of her mission to Exegol. Rey learns more about the man she loves so deeply now as their trip to Naboo takes center-stage. Ben's rather interesting kink amuses Rey to no end as their passion burns white-hot.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 51
Kudos: 132





	1. Day 1

**Author's Note:**

> No Reylo writer could watch this movie and let its ending go unchallenged. I had to write this. Hope you enjoy it.

~~~~~~

“Because when you finally find the one against all odds, you give him your best and let the magic of the world carry the rest.”  
~ E. Mellyberry - "I Won't Break" 

“He cupped her face in his big, callused hands and dropped his forehead to hers. "It's all about the we," he murmured. "Don't ever think otherwise.”  
~ Jill Shalvis - "The Good Luck Sister"

~~~~~~ 

******

******

Emperor Palpatine's Sith Citadel  
Located on the planet Exegol  
The Unknown Regions

Death was whispering softly in his ear like an echo chasing him since conception, beckoning him to draw ever closer. Seducing him to give in to its darkest desire. To embrace the forever cold at end of all things. But his last soul-searing thread to this mortal world was stronger than even death itself.

Ben would not fail Rey.

Not ever.

Horrific pain roared throughout Ben's broken body, nearly robbing him of the strength to even roll over on the small ledge he somehow Force-guided himself to slam into. The mere effort took all the strength that he had left. Barely conscious, he struggled to breathe. Couldn't catch his breath as his lungs burned inside his chest. Nausea set in, and his right leg felt as if it were on fire. Blurry vision rattled his senses through a haze of fog as he struggled to remain conscious. Everything hurt everywhere as he was sure death was finally going to catch him this time. Deep down he knew it was what he deserved after all the cruelty he'd bestowed upon the galaxy, but desperate rage clawed at his heart over Rey facing Emperor Palpatine alone. He didn't care about his own life, but she 'had' to live no matter the cost. 

Through their Force-bond he felt her life-energy fraying at the edges, slowly fading as she fought against all odds with all that she had left. All while the Dark Side was surging violently in a way he had never felt before. Grimacing in agony, Ben was powerless to stop any of this - and then his vision blinded as an overwhelming blast of Dark Side energy erupted into the sky like an electrical storm. Dozens of starships glittered like dying stars as they began to fall to its attack. Though he had forsaken the Dark Side, he recognized its power all too well. But never had he seen it on display such as this. Unrestrained incalculable devastation on a scale that terrified him to the core of his being. And all of it centered on Emperor Palpatine. He was the final nexus as all hope felt lost. 

In that final soul-crushing moment Ben Solo knew that the war would soon be over... and Rey would die.

'Ben, get up! Fight!' 

A familiar, beloved voice chanted in his mind with such raw emotion. Unfathomable. It was his mother.

'Dammit, fight! Rise, Ben! Rey needs you! Your story does not end with you dying at the hands of that monster! Rise! Fight!'

"Mother," escaped his dry throat as the Force suddenly swelled within him, drowning out the misery of his body in the healing Light. He willed its unlimited power to aid him in his greatest time of need. The former Sith was no stranger to extreme pain nor torture. Snoke bred him to be a monster immune to all that stood against him. Before he knew it he had crawled to his knees as blood trickled down the side of his temple. The bitter taste of copper dominated his mouth as his gaze rose skyward. 

'The Force is your ally, Ben. Use it. The debt you owe cannot be repaid with your death. Palpatine will kill Rey and rule the galaxy once more. Fight, Ben!"

"Luke," Ben weakly exhaled as he drew upon the Force to empower his body. Here, in the end, his Uncle was with him. He felt it. To give him the strength to somehow rise to his feet. Suddenly the surge of Dark Side power dissipated... and then Rey's Life-Force heightened with such unimaginable power he gasped. Wasting no time, he set to purpose, staggering to the nearest jagged wall. Driving away the impossibility of the climb ahead of him due to his terrible physical state, Ben drew upon the Force with all his might and began to climb. To fight! Fire crippled his shattered hands, but damn it all he was going to reach Rey or die trying. With relentless drive, he rose.

'Hurry, son. She doesn’t have much time. You can do this.'

Han. His father, again. He could feel his love. His forgiveness. Ben wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t anymore, but he felt the Light within him surging and thought not to question anything that was giving him the strength to reach Rey. Battered and bruised, he climbed toward his destiny. Hand-over-hand. Slow, steady movements. Cracked nails dug into dirt as his fingers left bloody printing. 

Crimson evidence of all that he would endure to save Rey. Anything for her.

And then his heart stopped when he felt Rey's life-Force slowly fade away to such a state he could barely feel her presence at all. "Rey, fight!" he willed to her through their bond, desperate to reach her. The searing pain in his hands and wrists be damned, he climbed even faster somehow, pushing his body to its limits. He was so close now! Could see the edge of the pit. 

'Get to her now, Ben! You are not alone! Rise!'

His Mother's indomitable will pushed him past the excruciating pain. Past the fear that one wrong step and he'd fall into a bottomless pit never to be seen again. It didn't matter to him that he could no longer feel the Emperor’s Force presence. Rey was near death or already... he couldn't go there. With every muscle in his body crying out he climbed until his hands reached the apex, and he drug his broken body over the top.

'When I could have saved your grandmother, when I could have escaped with her, when I should have been only thinking of her and my children, I was only thinking of myself. Don't repeat my failures, grandson. Rise above me. Be a better man than I was. Palpatine wins and Rey dies if you give up. Rise!"

Anakin Skywalker. Ben was sure of it. Felt it. His grandfather was with him at last. Ben crawled to his feet, stumbling on a leg bent at an ugly angle, but he was moving and that was all that mattered. 

Though the annihilation of Final Order's gigantic fleet above him was nearly unimaginable, it was Rey's unconscious body up ahead that damned his soul. She wasn't breathing. Had no Force-signature. He gritted his teeth in horror, pushing past the crushing pain, limping heavily to reach her with all that he had left. 

Clutching his side in pain, Ben fell next to Rey, quickly gathering slender frame into his arms. When he lifted her he was met with a blank stare of death that crushed all hope that he had left. The most cruel, vile horror he had ever experienced descended upon him in misery. She wasn't breathing. Wasn't moving. Her skin felt so cold to the touch... Their incredibly powerful Force-Bond fell deathly silent. Mute. There was nothing left. He couldn't help looking around as if to call for help, would have begged on his knees... he knew he deserved this end, but she did not. This was meant for him dominated his thoughts as despair clawed at what was left of his soul.

'We are with you, son. This family stands united behind you now. Always.'

Leia's beloved voice settled around him, but he still did not feel worthy enough to speak.

'The Force is our ally, young Solo. The Light lives within you once more. You need only trust it.'

Ben did not recognize the strong, deep voice that spoke. But he knew the presence of the Jedi were with him.

'Exists only in your mind, impossible does. The will of the Force stands with you. Trust in it, you must. With you, we are.'

'This is your time, Ben. Rise. Your family and the Force are with you. Trust your old man. This isn’t over yet, kid.'

They were all talking now, one after the other, offering words of encouragement as if Rey's dead body wasn't lying in his arms. They needed to stop! In the end the Light had forsaken him just as he knew it would. Clutching Rey tightly to his chest, he grieved the loss of his other half, his very soul torn apart. This was worse than the Dark Side of the Force. Hollow. Cold. Deathly empty. He would have rather died in that pit then to ever see Rey like this. 

The Dyad was broken, and now so was he. 

'You're a stubborn one, Ben Solo. That's probably why you're my namesake.'

And then suddenly, Ben recalled how Rey had healed him - yet he wasn’t sure he could summon such an ability. That the Light might be so forgiving to one who had so reveled in the Dark Side. What mercy could he call upon? But he had to try. Covering her belly with his hand, he closed his eyes, breathing slowly, and turned his absolute focus on reaching through the Force to grant her what remained within in him. 'Take it all,' he tearfully begged as the Light swelled within his soul. The drain felt as peaceful as a warm breeze, and if this moment cost him his life he was ready. Anything to save Rey. 'Take it all.'

Ben did not witness, the ethereal Force-Ghosts of Leia, Han, Luke, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Mace Windu, Anakin and Padme Skywalker standing just over his shoulder - their eyes shut, granting him the surge of life-force he needed to save the one he loved. 

A heart-stopping moment later Ben felt Rey's bloodied hand come to cover his own, and then her hazel eyes were filled with life once more as she gently sat up in his arms, deeply surprised but so very happy - before gracing him with the absolute sweetest smile he had ever seen in his entire life. 

"Ben," Rey spoke softly in reverence, overcome with pure joy the likes of which she couldn't comprehend because she had never felt this way before. He was here and he was alive and she was in his arms. She was a little foggy on the details, but her heart could not contain what it was feeling. Couldn't think of a single question to ask how or why this miracle had happened because it just didn't matter. Nothing mattered.

Ben... her Ben... was with her at last. The Dyad was restored and so was her heart.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Ben had not smiled in so many years it felt foreign to even try. As if he had to think about how to even accomplish it. But a small smile rose nonetheless before she tenderly cupped his face, her fingertips grazing just behind his ear, clipping his hair - and in the blink of an eye she kissed him hard, impulsively pressing her lips to his with such love he couldn't even think. 

Mercy, how this woman burned in his soul like the twin suns of Tattoine.

Pulling away, Rey couldn't help but to stare at the sheer wonder of him. She hadn't meant to kiss Ben, as she hadn't made a conscious thought to do it. It just happened because she simply could not resist, and then she was greeted with a full-blown Ben Solo smile with 'teeth'... Her mind was just gone! This was... He was... She had never been in love before, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt she was in love right now at this moment. That what she was feeling was not comparable to the love she felt for Finn, Poe, or Chewie. This was a brave new world far, far out of her element. She knew the same and likely more was shared by him. 

And yet their Force-bond vibrated with unrestrained energy as they stared at each other for the longest quiet moment. And then Ben began slump onto his back...

'Balance has been restored. Live.'

... and just as quickly Ben shook it off, and then drew Rey closer again before pressing a soulful, lingering kiss to her forehead. Rey rested her brow against his with her eyes closed, just breathing, living in this unbelievable moment.

"Can we... can we stop fighting now?" Ben couldn't help but to ask with a hint of amusement as he tenderly caressed her cheek.

"Never," Rey promised him with a soft yet stunning smile, tears glistening her eyes. "I think we will always be a tiny bit combative."

"Just not with lightsabers anymore, ok? I would like to not be stabbed or scarred anymore."

Rey blinked. Ben Solo was actually teasing her, albeit in a completely appropriate way considering who he was. "In my defense, we were trying to kill each other at the time." And then Ben surprised her by passionately kissed her, framing her face in his gentle hands as they swayed ever so in a rhythm new to both, and yet so natural nonetheless. Her mind was just gone. She had no experience in the give and take of kissing, but she was a quick learner and longed for lengthy moments of personal study on the matter. And when it ended all she wanted was more. So much more. Despite his battered and bruised appearance, his eyes were bright and so alive. Ben... 'her' Ben at last. "We need to get out of here. Luke's X-wing is close."

Ben's first instinct was to flee with her now and never look back. He was free. Finally free of the voices and manipulations of the Dark Side of the Force. Free because the Light and his father had forgiven him. But he was mindful of the monumental 'debt' he owed. His mind began to plot just how to go about repaying it. "I landed right next to it, but we aren't taking those ships off-world. The Final Order's starship industrial yards are three hundred and twenty clicks due East."

With victorious Resistance cruisers and fighters making the jump to Hyperspace above them, Rey's brows narrowed. "Why would we go there and not just leave now?"

"Trust me."

They rose as one to their feet, the Dyad fully restored, their Force-bond indomitable. And when Ben extended his hand to her, beckoning her to join him, at last.... at long last she could take it. So she did. Rey entwined their fingers as if it were the most natural thing she had ever done, holding on tightly, with no intention of ever letting go. "I do."

******

This was Ben Solo in the Light:

Conflicting currents of wild lightening clashed across the dark heavens as Ben's Tie-Fighter and Rey's X-Wing blazed a swift path over Exegol's vast barren wasteland amidst the cataclysmic destruction of the Final Order's fleet. This was the death of the Sith. This was the end of the accursed war and it was a beautiful sight to behold. His will was aligned once more with the will of the Light as he navigated in and around gigantic fiery Star Destroyer and Resistance Cruiser wreckages, whizzing past them at break-neck speeds as superior Force-enhanced reflexes guided them towards the mammoth underground structure ahead. Stratospheric winds shifted their ships, rattling their controls as they chased a new shared destiny.

Ben knew what he had to do, and that he had the strength to do it. And with Rey at his side he knew the impossible suddenly became merely difficult.

Empowered by a clear mind and a heart focused on moving past Palpatine's evil manipulations, Ben had never felt less alone in all his life. When his world was dying the Force reunited him with his family. He was not forsaken after all. The unexpected miracle of their presence wasn't one he had any interest in questioning. They showed up when he needed them - they pushed him to fight even when all hope seemed lost - focused his thoughts on saving Rey and nothing else. Spoke words of forgiveness that began the healing of his tortured soul. 

Kylo Ren was dead.

This new life of his wasn’t about Ben Solo. Not anymore. Free of the Dark Side's influence, a selfless state of being flowed through him. Courage has replaced rage. Empathy has conquered the need to inspire fear. Rey's presence in his heart was all the sustenance his soul needed. And the incalculable debt he owed meant that until he drew his very last breath his life belonged to defending, protecting, and helping the New Republic that was rising no matter if it ever forgave him or gave him a second chance. He understood this, specifically. Knew it would be his life's work to whatever end. 

Ben Solo's priorities were firmly set in place. Rey, his life-debt, and nourishing peace in his troubled soul as he worked to figure out exactly who Ben Solo was going to become. He didn't have all of the answers, but he knew what the questions were. That was a start he could live with.

A beloved image soon emerged on Ben's dashboard comm-screen. Rey greeted him with a serious expression.

"Walk me through this again."

Ben led them east, traveling along a treacherous path around colossal sections of smoking debris and blustering fuel fires. "Palpatine showed me his underground production shipyards. They have been fully operational for over two decades, building the Final Order's armada in secret."

"But how? Where would the labor, resources, and finances come from to even come close to the fleet I saw in the space?"

"I don't have all the answers and I'm not sure we ever will. Apparently Palpatine had contingency plans in place in case his Empire was ever compromised. And with Snoke in charge of the First Order, I'm sure plenty of secret dealings took place that I was never aware of. But none of that matters right now. What does is the shape those shipyards are in and if my command codes will work to gain us access."

"And if they don't?"

"We might be fighting our way out of here."

"Well, at least we won't be fighting each other this time."

"I love how you can always find the bright side of things." He felt a tingle of tenderness from her through the Force and latched onto it, immersing himself in the wonder of her. This immensely powerful, amazing thing they shared was still in its infancy and there was so much to talk about. They hadn't even scratched the surface yet of figuring out just what being together truly meant. But he was all-in to find out. 

Beeping chirps began sounding off in Rey's cockpit. Her gaze narrowed sharply. "Ben, anti-starship batteries are powering up all around us." She peered left, and then right as they flew into an enormous canyon bordered by rocky cliffs. "I'm counting twenty... no thirty..." 

Ben quickly hailed an open frequency associated with the Final Order. "This is Supreme Leader Kylo Ren. Execute command code clearance: AJAQ-12299987-45RRTFV. Permission to land and access all internal operational systems."

A heart-stopping moment later.

'Code confirmed. Permission granted. Welcome Supreme Leader Ren.'

As her eyes scanned the radar array on her dashboard, Rey exhaled a deep breath when all of the laser batteries suddenly powered down and then veered away. "It appears you still have a way with words." She felt him smile through their Force-bond and was certain it would be many standard years before she was used to its effect on her.

"Many years, huh?" he teased lightly.

Slightly flushed that her thoughts were broadcasting so openly, she playfully retorted, "Get out of my head."

"Never." Grinning, Ben lifted his Tie-Fighter over an elevated valley that revealed what looked like miles and miles of wide open space - yet the very ground was uncovered, revealing a gigantic cavernous factory below the surface. 

"By the Force..." Rey quietly uttered in awe of what she was seeing. Layers upon layers of droid-operated assembly lines as far as her vision could see. There were countless elevator platforms that seemed to move gigantic sections of construction from floor to floor as work was completed. An underground city of duracrete and Clone War technology that has been in operation for over two decades in secret. All created to force the galaxy to kneel or be destroyed. "This is monstrous." 

"That and more."

Their starships appeared tiny compared to the overwhelmingly vast scale of the miles-deep underground labyrinth that gave birth to the Final Order's fleet. The infrastructure was beyond comprehension. Several dozen sprawling starship docking bays revealed eight unfinished mid-class Allegiant Star Destroyers, over a hundred military transport ships, various starships, and a towering central communications edifice at its center, with a landing bay hub at its apex. That was their destination. "There are still patrol drones circling the area so we better keep our eyes open."

"Maybe we shouldn't approach so fast?"

"Keep your distance, but don't look like you're keeping your distance."

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know, fly casual."

"Ben, I'm going to punch you," she promised affectionately and felt his amusement fall over her like warm sunshine. 

Their ships paced towards the central tower at a moderate rate of speed while flanked by armed drones before coming to land side-by-side on the landing platform. As their canopies opened they were suddenly greeted by several dozen well-armed battle droids with their weapons trained on them.

"She is with me. Her safety should be treated as equally as my own. Stand down," Ben ordered as he descended his fighter, motioning Rey to stand back a moment while a ceiling-mounted security camera scanned him with some sort of facial recognition software. Suddenly all of the battle-droids lowered their weapons and parted for them to walk through. They wasted no time ushering past them. When they were far enough away Ben leaned toward her. "Well that was easy."

"Yeah, but as weak as we are right now I'd rather not fight a hundred of them."

"Duly noted."

As they reached an immense balcony it suddenly became apparent how Palpatine went about the business of manufacturing his Final Order. As far as the eye could see in any direction, Ben and Rey recognized tens of thousands of retro-fitted old Separatist battle-droids now converted to ship building labor. A massive army unto themselves. Droids who would work tirelessly, day and night, without complaint or fail. This was how Palpatine built the Final Order's fleet. 

Mindful of all that this truly represented, Ben knew what he was looking at. So did Rey. Initial thoughts aside, both considered the bigger picture. 

This was a grand opportunity. They would steal from the dead Emperor and take control of his possessions. The technology. The resources. The power. Take everything, everywhere, all while burying his atrocious legacy forever. 

"Up there," Ben pointed to a Command Station straight ahead. "We have work to do."

Rey followed Ben up a long flight of stairs that fed into a curving inclined hallway. At the end was a clear massive double-door that parted when they approached. Inside was a modern technical wonder of monitoring stations, droid control modules, and a front row of highly-advanced computer system arrays. Ben quickly took a seat with Rey standing over his shoulder. She watched him work with a single minded focus, his fingers performing magic across the keyboards as he logged into three separate systems at once. 

First, he deactivated all the security systems and parameters in the factory, and all battle droids - who stalled where they stood, and then gently bent forward as they powered down. One problem solved.

"Ben, those Star Destroyers over there. They look near completion. The Resistance could finish their construction. They would be invaluable assets and provide visual evidence of the First Order's demise."

"My thoughts exactly," Ben noted as he installed cable connectors to several data-pads. "Those are battle cruisers and troop carriers. They can be repurposed for any need."

"The battle droids can be reprogrammed to work for our cause. The influence of the Dark Side is gone from this world. These shipyards could be the birthplace of the New Republic Navy," Rey said as she mentally catalogued all that she was seeing and how best to present it to Poe and the other senior Resistance leadership that might paint Ben's return in a better light.

With three screens reflecting all that he worked furiously on, heavy data transfers began. The severely grim expression a select few knew was the face of Kylo Ren was now replaced by a deadly serious focus reflected in the eyes of man returned to the Light at long last. Where addiction to conquest and proving himself to an unworthy Master had dominated his world, now the Force courses through his veins, empowering - calming - fortifying a trust of self and of Rey and of the Light. The former Dark Colossus of the First Order, hunted by Emperor Palpatine since birth, now eradicated his evil Empire key stroke by keystroke.

And this was only the beginning. The debt he owed the galaxy wouldn't be repaid until he drew his very last breath. Only then, with good deeds done, would true redemption be earned. But in the meantime there was work to do.

One monitor reflected a Master Server within the First Order executive administrative domain. What Ben found was not unexpected. "Rey, the Star Destroyer admirals that fled here after it was apparent they were going to lose have already begun splintering the First Order's banking accounts. There are massive credit withdrawals moved to unknown accounts throughout the galaxy. And the accounts that arranged them have all been deleted."

"The rats are running away. Is there anything left?"

"Even the Grand Admirals had limited First Order financial access. There were safe-guards put in place to prevent what they are currently doing from potentially bankrupting the First Order. But when I took command I made sure I had all access to everything. I took an interest in learning the scope of my new Empire and became a student of its infrastructure."

Rey leaned over his shoulder, "Ever the control freak, I see."

"From a certain point of view."

She watched closely as he encrypted several data-pads. "How much can we take?" When she mentally heard him think 'My scavenger' she felt the affection the thought sprang from, but had to needle him. "'Your' scavenger?"

"Another time, Rey," Ben smirked while watching her amused reflection in the monitor. "I have moved seven hundred million credits. I am transferring them to various accounts with an encrypted access login. No one can stop me as my credentials override anyone else’s. I'm raiding every single credit available to the First Order that I can." 

After handing her a small stack of data-pads, he added one more - one not meant for the Resistance. One meant only for them. Out the corner of her eye she caught sight of a small curved grin. He had plans for them, but motioned for her to take it with her other hand. 

"That one is for us."

As mindful as she was of how seriously important what they were doing was for the rise of the New Republic, a wild, explosive joy filled her heart that they weren't just planning the galaxies future - but their own as well. This was a start for them in the Light. No small amount of glee filled her spirit as she plucked the single data-pad from his hand and gave it the once over. "How much to we have?"

"Twenty-five million." Her eyes grew like saucers in the monitor’s reflection, nearly comical as he was reminded how very humble - and that was putting it mildly, her childhood had been. The unfair hardships she had endured would be erased forever if he had anything to say about it. "Rebuilding the Jedi Order will require a significant amount of resources... and we deserve a little fun." 

The distant, haunted shadow in his eyes was gone. There was a serious depth of determination that would have been unsettling if she didn't know him so well. If she didn't feel the truth of this man’s character. This was Ben in the Light. 'Her' Ben. She breathed slowly ... tried to slow down her feelings and be a little wiser and a bit more mature as she finally had exactly what she wanted. Someone all her own.

"I am, you know."

Rey shook her head free of her internal thoughts, blinking. "What?"

"Yours," Ben noted a bit nervously over his shoulder, unsure if he could face her and say, "I am yours... if you will have me."

Rey took a careful step back, appraising him from behind. Ben's dark shirt, tattered at the hem and neck - was caked with dust and blood and had seen better days. His hands and wrists was mess of cuts and scrapes, with darkening bruises coloring the back of his neck and part of his shoulder. He was still limping, but his leg was somewhat better. His dark hair wasn't Kylo Ren-perfect, but she could work with that. His heart though, all of it belonged to her and she felt it with all that she was. Grand romantic declarations and promises for the future were a bit premature, but they were on the horizon and she was unafraid of them. Inexperienced, but unafraid. "I would have no other." 

And then she found herself on the receiving end of a full-on Ben Solo smile with teeth. It was almost hypnotic to her, beckoning her ever closer to the fire that was him. That was them. But this wasn't time for play. Not yet. Soon, but not yet. "Back to work, hot shot."

Rey observed and took notes on a data-pad, marveling at Ben's thorough dismantling of the First Order. Its military might was decimated above Exegol, with straggler cells scurrying to hide throughout the galaxy. Its immense financial reserves were completely raided. Other key system were locked out with all other logins save for Supreme Leader Ren's deleted. And then he sent out a final transmission across the stars to all First Order frequencies as someone who was with the now dead Supreme Leader Ren before his demise.

"The First Order is no more. The Final Order is no more. Emperor Palpatine and Supreme Leader Ren are dead. The fleet was destroyed in a final loss to the Resistance above Exegol, and what's left is scattered to the stars. They will all be hunted down and imprisoned unless they comply. There is nothing left to fight for. No allegiance to the First Order should be honored as it no longer exists. All loyal to the First Order should flee for their lives as it is no more. The Resistance has won the war and it is over. There is no fleet, no credits, no resources, and no leadership left. You are all free."

As Ben closed his transmission he settled back in the chair, bent over resting his hands on his knees, and heaved a great sigh of relief. It was done. The war was over and the true work - rebuilding the Republic, aiding the war-torn worlds, and creating a new Jedi Order could truly begin. 

"I am so proud of you, Ben."

He slowly swiveled his chair around to face her. His beautiful, beautiful Rey who had faith when he had none. Emotion threatened to overwhelm him as he shook his head, bowed before her as she stepped into the space between his legs and took his face into her gentle hands. She forced him to meet her gave. 

"I am so very proud of you and I believe in you. I can't wait to see all the good you are going to accomplish. And I will be with you every single step of the way."

The unpleasant dark echoes that lived as whispers in his ears ever since he was a child were gone, replaced by all that Rey was. Her devotion to the service of justice, her capacity for courage and her belief that good will triumph over evil if she faced it fearlessly were but a few of the reasons she owned his heart. He not only admired her - was inspired by her - he loved her more than his own life, of which he was ready to give up to save her own. 

And that she cared him given his terrible history should be impossible, but because this was Rey and Rey didn't believe in the impossible - he feels a freedom that is deafening. 

Ben doesn’t speak, he acts. Draws her into the heat of his arms and kisses her deeply. He is greatly out of practice and she seems new to this, but they quickly find a delicious rhythm, a tender sway all their own. Her arms have curled around his neck, while his closed over her lower back, drawing her flush to his chest. The urge to pull her into his lap is so strong he can barely contain the need, but he knows any semblance of restraint will be lost if he feels the weight of her resting over him. And though he desires that - desires her with a desperate need he can barely control, he wants them far away from this world when he finally claims her.

"You mean when we claim each other," she panted lightly over his mouth that has now curved into a roguish smile. She fired the same back at him.

"Just so long as there is a lot of claiming," he passionately kissed her again, and when their tongues brushed ever so his hunger for her spiked immensely. 

Sensation and sensual longing collide within Rey that are new, intimidating, and absolutely exhilarating. Physical intimacy was uncharted territory for her, but she agreed with Ben. She wants to explore this far from this world. "We're done here. Let's go."

"We're taking that." Rey turned to see what Ben was pointing at. A starship alcove up ahead. Similar to his former command shuttle minus the wings, the mid-class vessel was a bit bulkier, ink black, and ultra-modern. "It's a Lynx-class executive transport shuttle meant for long interstellar travel. A luxury starship built for someone of great importance. It's outfitted with the absolute best tech - a cloaking device, heavy weaponry, deflector shields, four sleeping units, two refreshers, and a full kitchen suite. Has enough fuel to get us as far in the core worlds as Coruscant if we want. I think it'll serve us well." 

"But what about..." Rey doesn't finish. She understands. She gets it now. His Tie-Fighter and Luke's old X-wing are relics of a lifetime ago. Luke himself had sank it to the bottom of a lake. It was time to let the past die. Leave it all behind and start new. Fresh. This was good. She was onboard, mostly. "Ok, but I am not giving up the Falcon."

"... you're still holding on," Ben half-laughed. "Let go."

"Never." Rey extended her hand and loved the way he took it with reverence. "I need to contact my friends and explain all of this to the Resistance. I don't want any more secrets."

"Agreed. No more secrets."

"And then we can have a talk about..." Her hand motioned between them in some whimsical fashion.

Ben loved just being able to look into her beautiful hazel eyes. "Us."

Rey gave a careful nod and a little smile. "Yes. Us."

******

This is Rey in the Light:

Being the first in a new dawning age of Jedi Knights, she has had her faith in the Light validated as deeply as her faith in herself. She not only believed in the good within all people no matter any present darkness, but had fought for it. Bled for it. Faced the terror of the unknown head-on because she knew the Dark Side could not break her. Could not prevail forever. To all things a dawn and a dusk would come.

The heartbreaking struggle of her childhood, unprotected and unloved when she desperately needed both should have and did kill most homeless youth growing up on Jakku. And yet she survived. Experiencing such a degree of overwhelming loneliness that she would have spared her worst enemy of, and yet she survived it. Abandoned by her parents on a dead rock in space. Starving some nights. Running for her life on others. Scavenging whatever she could no matter the danger in obtaining it, no matter the deals she had to make, only for mere scraps that barely kept her alive. Never having a safe home or anything resembling a family.

And yet she survived it all because her will had always been aligned with the Light, and so it was as unbreakable as she was.

What awoke within her had always been there. A guiding Light, fortified by her indomitable courage and ability to spit in the face of impossible. Damn it to Sith-hell, this woman would not be broken! She always believed the sun would rise if she faced the night with courage. If she never gave up. Put the work in. If she simply tried, no matter how bad the odds looked. Not an ounce of give-up flowed through her veins. She faced all things head-on because there was no other way her soul would allow her to live.

That was the essence of Rey in the Light. 

After leaving Exegol, Rey told Ben that she needed to check on her friends. But not in person. Not just yet. She needed time with him alone and she felt that she had earned that - and then all else would fall into place. One standard hour ago she established connections with the Resistance command on Ajan Kloss, overjoyed at the sight of Finn, Poe, Rose, and Chewie. They all survived the war to end all wars. 

From the expansive two-seat cockpit of their stolen Final Order executive shuttle, endless stars and infinite possibilities filled out Rey's line of vision in deep space as she navigated out the maze of gravimetric anomalies that led to Exegol. But it was the blue holographic hue of her best friends shocked expressions as she revealed to them in detail not only the unbelievable last twenty-four standard hours of her life, but her entire history with and connection to Ben Solo that was something to truly marvel at.

Rey exercised patience and respect as those unaffiliated and unfamiliar with the ways of the Force and all its grey nuances struggled with understanding how turning from the Dark Side meant anything relevant. Kylo Ren had committed war-crimes and horrific atrocities for many years and the idea that Ben Solo was somehow reborn in the Light... they weren't buying it. Had all seen him do too much. Had been hurt themselves and knew far too many who were hurt by him. Those were facts undeniable. Scars that might never fully heal. 

She didn't fault them. Not at all. They were victims of the First Order's evil and specifically, Kylo Ren's. The road ahead was going to be a very long, complex one with many bumps along the way. But they had to start somewhere.

Rey kept her tone calm and even, "After Ben turned back to the Light he left Kef Bir and traveled to Exegol to help me destroy Palpatine and the Final Order once and for all. He killed the Knights of Ren, and then saved my life after Palpatine was defeated. To be perfectly honest, he brought me back to life. I was dead." 

Finn's stricken face conveyed so much emotion, while Chewie’s somber howl echoed how much it hurt to hear this. Rose fought back tears of joy that she was even alive. Poe seemed greatly shaken as well. "Ben almost died transferring his life energy into me through our Force-bond. He is the one and only reason I am alive today." She was met with stern expressions and knew how adverse they were to believing anything good about Kylo Ren. She couldn't very well blame  
them. But she knew how she handled these early days of Ben's return would hopefully lay the groundwork for someday down the long road when a possible change of heart could happen. But that day was a very long ways away. "I cannot ask you to trust or forgive Ben. I get that. Believe me, I do. But if you trust me, trust this at the very least. Ben Solo is not only returned to the Light, he is willing to dedicate the rest of his life towards the new Republic. Towards helping me build a New Jedi Order. To justice."

"I wouldn't trust Kylo Ren as far as I could throw him out the nearest airlock," Poe declared angrily as he rubbed his tired eyes - clearly weary from a severe lack of sleep, with equal parts mental exhaustion and physical to boot. A whole bottle of Correlian wine during the celebration probably didn't help either. The unbelievable highs of the Resistance victory now came with his direct responsibility of leading them all out of being a Resistance and into a semblance of a new government. And he was expected to somehow accomplish this without Leia's counsel. How to go about that was a daunting task to say the least. "He's hurt so many, Rey. Many will want his head on a pike. And I can't say it’s a sight I wouldn’t relish seeing."

When Rey's anger suddenly spiked at any mention of violence against Ben, she heard his gentle reminder through their bond 'I have hurt him and many others many times. It hasn’t been even one day since I turned. I don't have any equity in the good category built up yet.' She sighed in resignation, knowing how futile it was to have any of them see Ben the way she did. It was just too soon.

With her face partially illuminated from the holo-display, Ben arrived at the threshold of the cockpit in full view of them all. He was an imposing vision - towering with broad shoulders and dark eyes - shaded just in the shadows of the hallway outside. He looked like death warmed over when he got closer. He still wore his tattered clothing, wearing cuts and bruises like a second skin. Though his limp was still obvious, he was carrying a steaming cup of cafe, and then gently handed it to Rey - who quickly took a sip and smiled brightly at his thoughtfulness. He had pleased her, however small a gesture it was. He was pocketing all the victories he could get his hands on. 

Then he turned his attention to the leader of the Resistance and set about trying to make things right. "Poe, I have secured seven hundred million credits after raiding various First Order banking accounts across the Core Worlds. I'm going to provide them all to the Resistance," he began as he took the co-pilot seat next to Rey. He didn't bother with an initial apology because why. They needed to see deeds, not words. "I don't expect that to ever make up for all that I have done, but right here and now I can provide things to you and your leadership that would be useful. I have the means to help you."

Rose blinked, hoping she had heard him correctly. She leaned forward in her chair. "Uhm, excuse me. Did you just say seven hundred million credits? Did I hear that right?"

"The First Order had extremely deep pockets. All of it was blood money, but at the very least it can go back to helping the people it enslaved," Ben replied.

The words tasted like acid before fleeing Poe's mouth, but they were necessary. Overreacting was replaced here with a patient wisdom he was trying his best to sharpen. "Start talking."

Enjoying her delicious cafe, Rey listened intently, noting the conflicted expressions her friends wore as Ben began detailing how he planned to transfer all First Order command clearance codes, base locations, resources, records, and prison outposts for the extraction of Resistance fighters. He offered them everything and began the transfer as he spoke. It was an overwhelming amount of information that would take weeks, if not months to sift through and plan a decisive course of action. But it was a definite start.

And she was so proud of him. So incredibly proud. So in awe of all that he had to overcome to get here. The Dark Side of the Force claimed its servant’s souls until death, and to come back from it to the Light was something in all the ancient Jedi text less than six Sith Lords had ever done before. Three had committed suicide from the madness and guilt of all that they had done, unable to face it. The other's fates weren't yet known to her. 

But none of them had her at their side the way she would stay at Ben's. They were in this together now and nothing would stand in the way of that. And then she felt him look at her, offering a subtle little nod that he was always attuned to her thoughts. She wasn't alone anymore.

As Ben, Poe, and Rose went back and forth in a heated, but so far amicable discussion Rey noted how Finn had held his peace the entire time. He was taking notes in a data-pad, ever so often just listening - observing with an intense focus. It had her a bit on edge. "Finn?"

"This is crazy, Rey." Finn shut his eyes briefly, and then shook his head. "What in the Kriffing world is a Dyad? And you're a Palpatine? You mean that decrepit old sack of Bantha crap actually had se..."

"Finn, do not go there ever!" Rey grimaced in disgust. "As for the Dyad, Ben and I are connected through the Force in a way that hasn't been seen in many generations. It's the nexus of our Force-Bond. It grants us abilities we are still coming to terms with. I can't say we even understand it fully. When I know more you'll know more."

"But are you alright?" Finn asked as he leaned forward, peering into her eyes. "This is just so much."

"I'm alright, Finn. I promise you. Ben is with me." She hoped a faint blush didn't color her cheeks when she noted, "I have never been more alright."

Finn couldn't say he liked the way she said that, or what he was sensing - not that he trusted the latter just yet. "We are going to have a very long talk soon, Rey. With alcohol. Allot of alcohol."

"Looking forward to it," she smiled at her dearest friend. And when a sliver of a hint of jealousy passed through Ben she gently tugged at his hand, out of the line of sight of her friends. 'Your scavenger really liked the cafe you brought her.' Out the corner of her eye she caught him nibbling his bottom lip, fighting like hell to suppress a grin. 

"Rose, how long do you think it would take you and your team to get up to speed on running those shipyards?" Poe enquired as he began pacing back and forth, raking his fingers through his hair in deep thought.

"If my hackers can reprogram the battle-droids so we're able to not only have them working, but have the security system under our control... less than six weeks to be fully operational. But I would need a team of forty or more, and a couple of First Order defectors with engineering experience would help a great deal too." 

"We're gathering defectors from all over the galaxy right now. As for our people, I'll get you as many hands as I can spare. Those five Star Destroyers need to be a top priority and could secure Coruscant for us when the others Lando brought to the fight splinter off back to their homeworlds." Poe began to nod, nearly smiling but not quite. "This could work."

"Ben?" Finn quite didn't spit out as he did his best to be mindful of Rey's obvious feelings. And she was projecting big-time in a way he knew they'd talk about privately at some point. But she was happy and he would never take that away from her. "Controlling the hyperspace lanes are crucial for tracking what's left of the First Order fleet and reopening safe travel from system to system. Reestablishing that would be a status symbol that the reign of the First Order was truly broken. We need access to the armed satellites that patrol key Hyperspace lanes throughout the galaxy."

"The First Order employed over ten thousand, all remote controlled. You will need access to their encrypted frequencies and access codes. I can help you with that."

"Send us everything you have," Finn said. "We'll get to work right away. Those Hyperspace lanes are crucial to locking down and securing the Core Worlds."

Ben began connecting the rest of the data pads. "Transmitting now."

And then a very insignificant, and yet vastly interesting event occurred. While answering a question Rose had about how many officers it took to command a Star Destroyer bridge, Ben spared a sidelong glance at Rey - and some unspoken flair between them happened as she handed him her cafe. He took a long drink and then finished answering Rose's question while handing the cafe mug back to Rey. She finished the rest before setting it down as if it were the most natural thing in the galaxy for them to share a drink. 

And when she looked up Rose quirked a knowing brow at her little exchange with Ben, signaling she caught the sliver of intimacy between them. It wasn't that Rey was actively trying to hide anything. But women tended to notice little things faster than men.

Rey suppressed a smirk while pretending to check her dashboard calibrations. Ben went about the business of answering any questions fired his way, thankful he was being given the opportunity to help. 

Another hour passed by quickly as all fell silent. At the end of the day it was Poe's call to make in terms of what to do about Ben. What began as a communication with just Rose, Poe, Finn, and Chewie had blossomed to over a dozen and a half extra guests as various things Ben provided were being verified in real-time. 

The leader of the Resistance stared at Ben long and hard, doing his best to consider what was best for the needs of the many. What made the most sense. What could he live with and just how much did he trust Rey. As deeply as he missed Leia on a personal level, he hated not having her voice of experience and reason now. He hoped he was making the right decision. "Rey, I trust you. Let's start there. I've watched you take on our most dangerous missions, all with the unfair weight of the galaxy on your shoulders in terms of expectations. I've seen you under fire and..." he sighed. "Look, everything to do with the Force is above my simple mind. But facts are things I can take and hold in my hand. Seven hundred million credits will feed a lot of people, buy a Kriff-ton of fuel, and give us a fighting chance to rebuild a lasting Republic. Having full access to all First Order servers, bases, and resources gives us a great fighting chance. All of that matters more than the horrible actions of one man. Especially if he is willing to help us, and begrudgingly I must admit, he has."

Poe addressed all that were present. "Sending Ben to jail would be easy. Banishing him to the Outer Rim for the rest of his life would be easy. Putting him before a firing squad would be easy. Death is the easy way out. It's quick. Resolves nothing. Doesn't bring anyone back he killed. But living is hard. Living with yourself and your actions and people’s opinions of you. Living with responsibility. Living with guilt and a conscious and for the people you care about. Living requires effort. And in this room we have former pirates, spice runners, thieves, mercenaries, bounty hunters, and First Order officers. Living requires rising above your past mistakes. Living requires second chances, both to be given and received."

"Ben, this is your second chance. This is it and so help me by the Force if you betray us we will hunt you down and kill you," he declared with no room for argument. "Your sentence is to serve the New Republic and assist Rey in rebuilding the Jedi Order. You will take on any task we require, anywhere, and at any time - and share ever single Kriffing thing you know about the First Order." He controlled his breathing, staring into Ben's eyes. "Your life belongs to the New Republic now. I'm not sure you are up to this. I'm not sure I trust you. Hell, I'm not sure I even believe in you." He paused as the room waited. Only he could break this silence. "But I'd like you to prove me wrong."

"You will answer and report to the Resistance leadership council, which will be formed fully in the next few days. After that you will report to the Senate of the New Republic. I want you tagged with a locator at all times. I'm warning you that you will be kept on a very short leash. This service I am sentencing you to ends when you die. Do you accept those terms?"

"I... I do," Ben's voice trembled when he spoke, overwhelmed by this opportunity to make things right. It meant everything to him. "Words cannot express how much I appreciate this opportunity. Thank you for this second chance. I won't let any of you down."

Poe exhaled deeply, but gave a small nod. "This moment is bigger than all of us. It’s bigger than anything. The galaxy is depending on us to make things right and we can't go back in time and change anything that was done. All we can do is move forward, together."

Rey's heart beat faster, her spirits soaring as she felt Ben's elation at Poe's sentence. He was free to try and make things right. Free to be with her. The sheer emotion in her voice was clear. "Thank you, Poe."

"I did this more for you than him," he quickly pointed out, favoring her with a small. "I believe in you, so if you believe in him then I'll take the odds that this just might work out." 

"I know," Rey replied graciously. "We won't let you down."

Poe gave a begrudging nod, and then enjoyed a long stretch. Today had been a very long, incredible day. "Good. Now both of you get some food and some sleep. Maybe some new clothes because you look like crap. As for me, I'm going for another bottle of wine because after all this I Kriffing deserve it," he joked, soon flanked by Finn, Chewie, and Rose. "When can I expect you two back at the base?"

"In seven day’s time," Rey told him, sparing a small smile at Ben. "We need a few days to sort through some things."

"Yeah, I bet there will be plenty of 'sorting' going on," Rose cheekily added with a wink as she added, "Good night and good journey."

Chewie bent down, staring directly at Ben. He uttered one word in Shyriiwook. 'Soon.'

Ben gave a nod of understanding, acknowledging the Wookie who had once meant so much to him. His Father's very best friend... Someone he had betrayed viciously. There was no guarantee Chewie or Lando would ever forgive him, or that he deserved it, but he intended to try. At the very least he could run from his family no longer. 'I am sorry,' Ben replied in Shyriiwook.

'I know.' And then Chewie departed. 

Finn was the last to leave. "Rey, before you go, I just wanted to tell you I'm pretty sure I'm Force-sensitive and will need Jedi training. So it looks like you have your first student."

Blinking, Rey's mouth slowly parted in mute shock, clearly floored by her best friend's claim... and then she felt it. Felt his Force-presence as clear as day. Erratic as he was untrained, but it was there nonetheless. She was deeply surprised she had not felt it before. "And I thought this had something to do with Poe."

"That is a conversation for another day as well."

"Still, this is a welcome surprise, Finn."

"We'll talk soon." Finn pinched the bridge of his nose, and then turned to Ben. "She means the world to me."

"So I see."

"If you hurt her I will kill you."

"I promise that I won't."

"I'm holding you to that."

When Finn's image faded away, Rey and Ben were finally left alone. The quiet was deafening as it surrounded them. The fathomless depths of space stretched out before them through the starship's broad transparisteel canopy, echoing a new sense of endless wonders and possibilities. 

Overall, things had gone far better than Rey had hoped and this was a real start that they could pour their all into. But right here and now, they were all alone.

"Seven days, huh?" Ben gently poked at her, swiveling his chair around.

"I think we have some things to figure out, Ben." When he rose she joined him at his side. His arm curled around her waist, and it was the most natural thing for her to come to him and gently rest her head over his shoulder as he drew her to his chest. The warmth of him enveloped her, soothing as a hot bath. He tucked her head beneath his chin, his arms embracing her fully, reveling in the possessive sensation of holding her. And ever so quietly she declared, "I'm starving." He snickered in her hair, pressed a tender kiss on the crown of her head, and she felt him nod in agreement.

"Time to feed my scavenger."

******

Chapter 2 Coming soon


	2. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having begrudgingly admitted to herself at least a very unhealthy attraction to Kylo Ren, her interest in Ben was undeniable and she was guilt-free to indulge to her hearts content. And judging by the way he was lustfully undressing her with not only his eyes, but his thoughts, she felt a bit lightheaded as they toyed with one another. The game was on. "And just what is our goal tonight, Mr. Solo?"
> 
> Wiping his hands with a nearby towel, he tossed it on the counter. "What would you like it to be Ms..."
> 
> "I claim no last name."
> 
> "I could help you with that someday."
> 
> So he dared go there? Her jaw ticked at his impressively smug expression. It appeared that Ben Solo was a flirt who possessed all the roguish charm of his Father. Unfamiliar flutters threatened her resolve, but her courage did not falter. Any talk of last name additions was laughably too much to soon, but she stomped that notion dead because they had earned a little bit of carefree fun. A someday wish, playfully teased and yet not... She crossed her arms as she didn't have an immediate comeback, but her eyes were positively dancing. "I do believe you promised to feed your Scavenger."

******

30 standard minutes later

******

It occurred to Rey that she could probably summarize her entire life in three distinctive eras.

Rey the scavenger - never ever Rey Palpatine, was abandoned on the barren wasteland that was Jakku by desperate parents horrifically out of options to protect her. They did this so that Palpatine would never pervert her life with the way of the Sith. He would never get the chance to abuse her gifts. They were murdered for their love of her. Better that she struggled to survive in the harshest unfair conditions than to ever be in the presence of the Emperor. 

Her childhood was marked by misery. By sadness. By loneliness. By the struggle to survive. Forced to learn as an innocent young girl how to survive in an adult world by any means necessary - to learn grown up things that would keep her safe even if she didn't fully understand them. 

Even in the midst of hell she did not bend. Her moral compass never wavered. Her inner toughness emerged despite the daily tragedy of her life. The Force was with her, always. It provided a way when there was no way. When she should not have survived those cruel early years of her life.

Yet survive she did.

When Rey left Jakku barely four hundred and twenty days ago she would tell anyone who would listen that it felt like it had been four hundred years. Meeting Finn and fleeing that accursed planet ushered in the age of a brand new Rey. She matured. Grew stronger. Learned the ways of the Force and its complicated history. She found a purpose in the Resistance. Her courage during a time of war. A family in her friends. Her destiny in the Force. Parental figures in Luke, Leia, and Han. And an emotional storm in the feelings Kylo Ren summoned within her. A connection that would break and set her heart on fire. She sought to become a Jedi, facing her fears because the life of one demanded no less. She became a leader because the Resistance required that of her. A symbol of hope. Jakku didn't exist anymore in her mind. It might as well had not existed at all. She wasn't a nobody from nowhere. She was Rey. Just Rey, and that was more than enough. The galaxy was counting on her.

As it turns out, its faith was well placed.

And yet, even that Rey no longer drew breath. 

Symbolically, her character was never in question. The ideals she championed concerning justice and freedom were not being tested. Her belief in the purpose of the Jedi was now at the core of her. But the dark truth of her childhood was known in detail. And it was conquered. The Force was her ally and the Jedi of generations past were with her. Believed in her. Entrusted her with their legacy. She was not only a full-fledged Jedi Knight now, but would be far from the last - tasked with rebuilding the Jedi Order for a modern time and a New Republic that desperately needed the return of the Keepers of the Peace. Her goal posts reset yet again. Her mentors passed away, and now she would mentor to a new age of Force-users. But she would not be alone. 

Ben Solo was with her. 

Turned from the Dark Side of the Force back to the Light as she knew he would. He was the dearest part of her now, as vital to her well-being as breathing. If there were one true thing she believed in with all her soul, it was that she was meant to be with Ben. They were far more than a Dyad just as she was more that scrappy tough kid from Jakku, a Jedi Knight, pilot, engineer, and a Resistance leader. 

She was also a woman. A grown woman who had never taken that title, at least the physically intimate side of it, out for a test run before tonight. 

This was Rey in vastly uncharted territory.

The executive Refresher's name was vindicated as Rey felt so much better now after a lengthy hot sonic-shower. There was a small closet filled with comfortable black men and women’s sleep attire, likely for the flight crew - thankfully she found a comfy pair of bottoms and a button-down top that was just her size. No breast-band tonight, she grinned. After enduring dirty, wet, bloodied clothes for nearly an entire day it was blissful to be in something soft, and more importantly, clean. 

Next to the sink was a glass-shelf full of generic toiletries. She brushed her teeth and then her hair, wrapping both the tooth and hair brush in a towel to take with her, ever thankful for anything she could scavenge. She applied a couple of small bandages for various scrapes, and Bacti spray for the worse of her bruises. They weren't flattering to say the least, but she was alive so that was a win. Next, a disposable razor afforded her the luxury of shaving her legs and that was a bit of personal grooming she typically lacked the time or caring for. But tonight’s intimate possibilities warranted casting an eye towards such things. 

After grabbing them from just outside the Refresher stall, Rey tossed her filthy clothes in the small washer/dryer unit located in the far corner of the room. She considered throwing them away, but she didn't really throw anything away. It took less than a minute for her to figure out the controls as she heard Ben moving about the dining chamber. They had agreed to get cleaned up before dinner, deciding on using separate rooms she hoped was only due to having not had their talk yet. Being away from him was not what she wanted in any way, despite so much left unspoken between them. 

Steam had fogged up the oval mirror above the small sink, but with a single swipe of her towel it revealed a vibrant young woman she didn’t immediately recognize. A woman for years she wasn't sure would ever exist or could. She felt older, somehow. Energetic. Ready. Her hazel eyes were bright with life and a deeply sensual longing she had never felt before. The set of her shoulders seemed more confident, as if she were readying herself for some major event. As always, her three small buns hair-style was as much her trademark - as Finn teased, as it was easy and comfortable. Her skin appeared clear and smooth as she tilted her face for a closer look, minus any coloring as she had never tried or had any interest in make-up. 

The young woman staring back at her was essential, natural Rey.

Outwardly, she appeared ready for any adventure the night might offer. 

Internally, she was a bit terrified.

The starship was flying on auto-pilot, with no Hyperspace coordinates set in the navi-computer. They were just cruising in space minus a destination thus far. The Resistance leadership and her friends had been fully briefed on everything that happened, and that had gone far better than she could have hoped. Ben wasn’t going to be hunted, jailed, banished or executed for his crimes. His sentence would end on the day of his death as plans for how he would pay his debt were set in place. 

Which reigned her thoughts back to the present. Right here, right now, there was no war, no Sith, and no distance between them at all. It was just her and Ben all alone on a quiet, fully-fueled starship with four very large beds.

Casting a final gaze at her appearance, something she rarely ever did, Rey looked as she felt, happy. Pleased. With her heart racing ever so, she considered what could happen tonight with Ben. What might happen that had never happened to her before. She promised herself she wouldn't over-think things due to her lack of experience. At every turn of her life she attacked whatever she feared, shoving past any perceived boundaries. The unknown had never given her anxiety. She knew that she was ready to give in to her feelings for Ben. She was ready to dive right in.

Wearing a flirty smirk minus fear, Rey exited the Refresher with a confident stride to find Ben. And she might have left a couple of buttons undone on her top, not that he needed an invitation. 

Padding barefoot down the corridor, a faint glow of light emanated from up ahead until she reached the dining chamber in the back of the ship. Delicious scents assaulted her senses as she closed in. Whatever Ben was preparing for them smelled incredible. As she reached the entrance the sheer modern luxury might have caught her attention if a shirtless, equally barefoot Ben Solo wasn't standing there with his back to her. 

"Kriff..." she quietly muttered under her breath at the sight of his very impressive physique. He was all towering height, scars, and lean hard muscles she couldn't wait to... That Kylo Ren perfect dark hair was back in all its silky glory, clearly begging her to run her fingers through. And those snug sleep pants were hanging sinfully low on his hips. It dawned on her in this moment that she didn't have to want him anymore. She could have him. She 'will' have   
him. "Did your Refresher not have a sleep shirt that would fit, or were you just looking to tempt me?" 

Peering over the half a dozen steaming trays he had prepared for her, Ben turned on his heel to face Rey from across the room. He leaned back against the counter and marveled that this was no Force-bond moment. No dream like the countless others he'd had over the past standard year. This was real and they were both here, together. Rey was just a few strides away. He could reach her in the blink of an eye. For some reason she appeared tinier sans shoes, a lightsaber, and her arm wraps. Softer, somehow. She quite literally stole his breath away as he gazed at her. By the Force, she was a stunning beauty who didn't even know it and wouldn't care if she did. And those buttons undone on her top were revealing soft skin he ached to taste. Any hope of trying to play if cool faded when his face broke into a beaming smile he simply had no control over. "But you are already tempted."

"Am I now?" she questioned nonchalantly with a flirty tilt of her head. Her footsteps came to a halt on plush red floor rug as she regarded him with her arms crossed. "Would you like me to check my Refresher for sleep attire that might fit a man of your size?"

"Does my unclothed appearance offend you so?"

Rey knew that Ben knew that it didn't. Far from it. "I wouldn't want you to get cold."

"But I have you to keep me warm," his dark gaze fired at her.

She was not just going to fling herself in his arms, but she considered it. In the end she decided to poke him. "Do you just not like shirts?"

Ben faked a hurt expression, complete with a hand dramatically covering his heart. "And here I was hoping putting on clothes wasn't our goal tonight."

Having begrudgingly admitted to herself at least a very unhealthy attraction to Kylo Ren, her interest in Ben was undeniable and she was guilt-free to indulge to her hearts content. And judging by the way he was lustfully undressing her with not only his eyes, but his thoughts, she felt a bit lightheaded as they toyed with one another. The game was on. "And just what is our goal tonight, Mr. Solo?"

Wiping his hands with a nearby towel, he tossed it on the counter. "What would you like it to be Ms..."

"I claim no last name."

"I could help you with that someday."

So he dared go there? Her jaw ticked at his impressively smug expression. It appeared that Ben Solo was a flirt who possessed all the roguish charm of his Father. Unfamiliar flutters threatened her resolve, but her courage did not falter. Any talk of last name additions was laughably too much to soon, but she stomped that notion dead because they had earned a little bit of carefree fun. A someday wish, playfully teased and yet not... She crossed her arms as she didn't have an immediate comeback, but her eyes were positively dancing. "I do believe you promised to feed your Scavenger." 

Stepping back, Ben motioned over the steaming trays on the counter. "We got really lucky with this fully-stocked ship. There are nearly a two dozen shelves full of flash-frozen pre-cooked meals. But I must warn you, reheating meals is the apex of my food preparation skills."

"My skills fair no better, I assure you. Survival is not a recipe, but it was all that I knew of food. Expanding bread tasted the same way no matter what you did to it. So you're lucky that I am the anti-pickiest eater in the galaxy."

Mercy, how this woman charmed him. Was beyond interesting. He was bewitched by her personality. "Come here."

Rey nibbled her bottom lip, teasing it with her teeth as she considered how dangerous that was. Innocence be damned, she was hungry for far more than food tonight. She had read once that nothing tasted as sweet as something forbidden, but Ben was no longer forbidden. What to do, what to do. "Why don't you come over here?" she challenged as she stood her ground.

"I thought we were past this, Rey. Do I need to extend my hand?"

"How about you not make the same mistake twice and come to me this time. It's what you've always wanted to do anyway." Though proud of her flirtatious reply, Rey suddenly felt an ethereal tug beneath her feet as the plush rug she stood on began slowly moving across the room, drawing her ever closer to him, halting at   
his feet. And while she might be a bit stronger in the Force than him, her powers were blunt and powerfully basic. But Ben possessed a mastery of nuanced Force abilities. To this day Poe still marveled when he told the tale about the day he saw Kylo Ren stop a laser bolt in mid-air and then walk past it. "The Jedi Code would consider that a vastly inappropriate use of the Force," she noted with barely a straight face, struggling to maintain her resolve.

Ben invaded her personal space, capturing her gaze. "It's a good thing I'm no Jedi." Unable to resist a moment longer, he leaned down and softly brushed his lips over hers once, reacquainting himself with the sweet taste of her mouth. And then he kissed her again as they found a lazy sensual swaying rhythm that came so naturally. Rey whimpered low in her throat when his strong arms closed around her lower back, gently drawing her tight to his bare chest as he lifted her off her feet as they now dangled in mid-air. He held her effortlessly, suspending her at his eye level. When she quirked a brow he said, "Your lack of height may make kissing you problematic years from now."

Her mind carefully unpacked the hidden meaning there, cute as it was, but she was game to play. Tonight, there were no rules. "I could walk around with a retractable foot-stool if that will spare you back pain in your old age." 

Her smooth skin carried a hint of a floral scent, likely a remnant of whatever basic body-wash she had used in the Refresher. The aroma invaded his senses as he nuzzled the shell of her ear, and then whispered with reverence, "You're here."

Such a simple thing to say, and yet the meaning was absolutely deafening. Her lashes fanned downward as a gentle blush swept over her. Needing to touch him, her arms lopped around his neck as she picked up a trace of mint that lived on the tip of his tongue. "So are you." And then she gave her toes a little wiggle, and was regaled with a full-blown Ben Solo smile. His joy, every little bit of it, was centered solely on her through their bond. This was big-scary uncharted territory, her having someone when for so long she had no one at all. But fear never stood in the way of her going for it. "Despite how kissing you has become my favorite thing to do, 'your' scavenger is still hungry."

"Someone likes that little endearment, doesn't she?" He watched her inhale comically over his shoulder. His girl was starving and he would never deny her. He walked them over towards the flat counter and then carefully slid her down on the edge. His arms still caged her in as he allowed no distance between them. He just couldn't get enough of being in her personal space. Wanted to make a home there. He couldn't understand how he'd gone so many dark years without ever feeling this way. Or that he had ever thought it was a weakness. "We have enough food for a couple of weeks or more, so I heated up a few different things to see what you might like."

His caring warmed Rey's heart. Ever independent as most of her life had depended on it, it was so nice to have someone cater to her. She watched him untuck foil from one container, revealing a steamy brown stew that smelled absolutely divine. He used the Force to call a utensil to his hand from a nearby open cabinet, and then stabbed a generous portion.

"This is called Vorden stew. It’s a hearty broth with smoked meats and vegetables." He brought the utensil to her mouth and watched her devour it without hesitation. His cock pulsed at the sinfully sexy sound she made as she chewed. If watching her eat could elicit that type of reaction from him he knew was done for. "Is my scavenger pleased?"

Chewing enthusiastically, Rey nodded as her tongue swirled the corner of her mouth, chasing a hint flavor. She felt his dark gaze eating her alive. Felt his hunger for her. Felt hot all over pretty much. "More."

Next came seasoned curly noodles in a deliciously thick golden sauce. Rey hummed with delight after a mouthful, cutely giving the thumbs up as Ben fed her. There was an innocence to them she enjoyed as it felt as though this pace was one she wasn't racing to catch up too. Enjoying Ben was her agenda tonight. Just spending time to get to know each other - to see a different side of them that wasn't combative was exhilarating. "Ben, that's tastes amazing."

He considered if he would ever get used to hearing her call him by his birth name. Would it ever ring authentic in his heart? "Try this." He revealed the   
next dish. "This is seafood from the planet Nanir. It's basically baked fish with a spicy crust and sautéed vegetables."

Rey graciously accepted another bite, loving it immediately. Being fed felt sweetly intimate in its own way as Ben took care of her. She felt his immense pride at pleasing her. She knew she was easy to please, but that he cared so deeply... How was she supposed to play it cool and act mature when she just wanted to curl up in his lap? 

Ben let her sample three more dishes, two of which she loved and one that wasn't a winner. "Ladies first."

Rey chose her favorites, along with honey-glazed dinner rolls, a slice of chocolate Norsa cake, and a tall glass of this Coruscant rose-colored liquor Ben told her was priced at a few thousand credits a bottle. Though she found it frivolous for something to drink to ever cost so much, she wasn't above a bit of liquid courage tonight and was grateful for it. She slid off the counter, and then gathered their drinks and silverware, taking them to the nearby Granite-top dining table while he prepared their plates. She felt his nervousness as it matched her own, but there was fun and joy tied into it as well. 

"Do you want to have our talk now or after dinner?"

"I want," escaped her before she could reign in the husky tone it was delivered in. Or the unexpected scene that flashed in her mind’s eye of them wrapped up sweaty sheets, vigorously mating, clawing at each other, grinding hotly all over the bed.

Standing in front of the table, Ben shut his eyes for a heartbeat, breathing deeply. "Rey..."

Her name wrapped in a growl that was clearly a warning. Or a promise. Her center clenched at his tenor. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I didn't see anything that I'm not dying to experience. I just didn't want drop our dinner," he smirked as he set their plates side-by-side, and then pulled another chair close to hers. A gentle quiet settled between them as they took their seats. 

"I'm going to warn you now," Rey began with a slightly self-depreciating snicker, "I do not possess a great deal of table manners, but I will try to chew with my mouth closed and not sound a like a wild Bantha."

"Table manners are highly overrated, sweetheart."

The endearment did not ghost past her, but she wanted to act as though she was somewhat used to being special to him. She'd gotten used to being special to people over the last year, but not in this way. Through their bond she felt a sliver of anxiety from him as he waited to see how she would receive it. Even his own surprise that it had unconsciously slipped out. She had to remind herself that he was treading in vastly uncharted emotional waters as well. "So how are you doing, Ben Solo?"

Ben cut into his crusted seafood, chewing a forkful, savoring the seasoned flavor in a way he hadn't thought he was capable of. That there was pleasure to be found in a good meal rather than eating just enough for sustenance was a new concept to him. "I feel like I had been drowning in freezing waters for a very long time, and once I struggled to the surface I'm trying to move at Lightspeed because if I slow down for even a second every terrible thing I've done will come crashing down on me."

Rey waited patiently for him to continue as he gathered his thoughts. From the corner of his eye he watched her twirl pasta as she listened intently. "I've committed atrocities, Rey," he declared solemnly as he stared straight ahead across the table. "I've done horrible things that I refuse to place all the blame on Palpatine or the Dark Side or my parents or anything else. I own my actions. I'm responsible for them all. It's my cross to bear. When you allow the Dark Side into your soul you lose part of yourself that cares about anything except your own desires - you're trained to be devoid of empathy, which for a Sith is hated like a diseased limb that needed to be amputated. Regret has no meaning and was considered a sign of weakness. Attachments... individuals in your life are only as valuable as what they can provide to you, but you are never allowed to truly care for them. For anyone. Thinking only of self is the focus of your entire life. Retraining my mind from that twisted way of thinking will take a very long time. So to answer your question, I'm at the beginning of a very long, hard journey."

Setting her knife down, Rey leaned into him and pressed a tender kiss to his cheek. She realized the stubble from earlier was gone as he had to have shaved. She smiled as she rested her chin on his shoulder, gazing at him. "You won't walk it alone."

"Neither will you."

She tipped a finger beneath his chin, forcing him to look at her. "Good. Now this is where you kiss me again." 

"I thought we were having dinner, Rey."

"Kissing can be part of dinner."

"We haven't negotiated that yet."

"There's no time to discuss this in a committee."

It was as if he could hear his Mother's laughter in the ether. "I am not a committee." Ben was smiling when Rey kissed him sweetly, adoring the way her palm rested over his cheek as it deepened. As their tongues brushed and the heat swelled between them. And when the kiss ended he was sure he had never seen anything more beautiful than her bright smile. "Ok, same question for you. How are you doing?"

"Well I'm happy to not be dead," she joked as they continued their meal. When she finished her drink he quickly refilled it. A pleasant buzz was calming her nerves a bit. "So thank you for that."

"Any time, but please don't let dying become habit forming."

"I'll do my best." The liquor was smooth and very, very nice. She had only a few spirits in her life, but surmised she could get used to this stuff. "As for your question, I'll start with this. I am disgusted and revolted by being a Palpatine. I want to vomit every single time I think about it," she began with a foul expression she quickly shook away. "My grandfather’s horrid legacy is something I can't stand and I hate a part of him lives in me. I won't ever take that name, and honestly I hope to bury the knowledge of it."

"You are your own legacy, Rey. You add to it each day."

"I just want to help people and I feel that I have. Along the way I discovered the Force and the Jedi and my place in all of this. I discovered a small family that I love... and you," she beamed. "I can honestly say I am at peace with where I am going, but I am still a bit broken from where I have been. I have a lot of issues, Ben. And they are not all settled because I now have you in my life."

"Agreed."

"Like you, I'm a long-term work in progress."

After refilling hers a third time, Ben raised his own for a toast. "To healing."

"To healing," Rey clinked her glass with his. 

As a gentle quiet settled in around them, Ben watched her stealing little nibbles of cake in and around bites of her main course. He considered how delicate her fingers were and the immense power that coursed within them. Alas, his soul was ensnared by her. When he caught her she shrugged, and then offered him a bite of cake from the end of her fork. He took it and her heart. "When we get back from our trip, I'm going to sit down with Lando and Chewie. It's time I faced them."

"It is," Rey sympathized. "Lead with your heart, Ben. Tell them everything. Put it all out there. You have to unburden yourself as much as you can and just deal with the fallout. Fear can't rule over you anymore."

"I saw my Father." Her gaze turned tender as he told her about seeing Han one final time and how their talk freed him to come back to the Light. The immense guilt he carries will never fade entirely, nor should it, but he could at least begin to fill the cold emptiness with the good he was trying to accomplish now. Rey covered his hand with her own, and he instantly hated the memory of what happened in Snoke's throne room when he chose power over her. But never, ever again. "Thank you for always believing in me, Rey."

"You just need to believe in yourself." 

"I don't even know who I truly am," he noted with a heavy sigh. "I feel like my life is a blank page and the author is about to press pen to paper for the very first time."

"For your story or ours?"

Ben paused because what she said was meaningful. There was purpose in her query. A reminder of all that was new on the horizon. A slight, but poignant course correction in his way of thinking. He understood her meaning. "Ours," he declared with a tiny nod. 

"Good." As her eyes peered over their plates and empty glasses, she surmised as her heart began to race ever so that it was time for their serious 'Talk'. In that moment she decided to refill their glasses because she was going to need hers. The pleasant buzz was aiding her courage.

Ben edged his seat back, running a hand through his hair as he angled towards Rey - ever closer to her. They shared a moment of quiet anxiety, with each suddenly finding the floor very interesting. It dawned on them both how easier this would all be had they been normal people with normal childhoods and relationships. But they weren't those people and hadn't had those experiences. They were Ben and Rey, two halves of the same wounded soul. They would have to figure this out in their own way.

Sitting up a bit straighter with her hands resting on her thighs, Rey began simply. "How old are you?"

"Thirty," Ben answered around a bite. "I will be thirty-one in three standard months."

She figured as much age wise, but it was nice to know he had a birthday coming up. She had never celebrated even one before, but for him she'd like to change that. New memories for a new day and age. "I'm twenty-one." 

She was young, and yet incredibly mature already. "Do you know your birthday?"

"No," Rey considered sadly while tracing an absent finger around the rim of her glass. "I don't recall much about my childhood and there were no records of me anywhere. I know I was seven when my parents left me on Jakku. I think they were so terrified that anything could be traced back to me that they left me with literally clothes on my back. I don't even know if I was born on Jakku or not. But I've made peace with it, or as much as I ever will."

Wearing a wistful grin, Ben lifted his drink once more. "To making peace with the things we can't change."

"Amen." Rey clinked her glass with him, sharing a quiet moment where she felt the depths of his caring for her through their Force-bond and allowed its warm security to calm her nerves. No, this talk wasn't about some shocking, unexpected revelation or even the concern over the other person's reaction. It was simply about two people taking their first tentative steps together.

After downing the last third of his second glass, Ben sat it down and then covered her wrist with his hand, just needing to touch her. "You should choose a birthday. Make it all your own. I would very much like to celebrate it with you.

Such an idea had never crossed her mind before. Normal Core-world traditions didn't factor into her thinking given the life she had lived. And the only tradition that existed on Jakku was survival. But now that she had someone... now that she wasn't alone anymore... The possibilities weren't just endless, they were enticing. "I'll give it some thought." 

"You do that." Their eyes danced as they gazed into each other, falling deeper by the second, and then soon his hands gently curled around her own. With little to go on in the way of history in such things, Ben chose to simply   
be honest. "Rey, I don't have any experience in relationships, romantic or otherwise to be honest. Growing up on Chandrila and Coruscant I felt awkward and detached as then-Senator Leia and General Solo's only son. My parents possessed vastly different natures that often clashed, but they loved each other and me. I had everything I ever needed except for more of them. The expectations weighing on my shoulders were immense and oftentimes unfair. Everything was heightened around me. And when my connection to the Force began to manifest I felt an even greater divide from my family. Like any other kid I went from wanting friends and to feel like everyone else to knowing that I was special and that I never would fit in."

Ben lifted Rey's hand, pressing a kiss to her palm, and then closed his own around it. He was certain he would never tire of the desire to touch this woman. Her blush owned his whole heart. "I've lived so many years without feeling any peace in my life until this very moment. Here, with you," his expression grew tender, vulnerable, noting the unshed tears wetting her sympathetic gaze. And then he let free a little laugh. "Even as a kid I had issues. I was always too tall and skinny and I hated my prominent nose. I was self-conscious about my looks, very quiet, and I never slept through the night."

"Nightmares?"

Ben nodded. "Of unspeakable horrors a young impressionable mind couldn't possibly comprehend."

"I will slay them all."

Rey was defiant in all her endeavors. That she wanted to protect him meant more than he could ever convey. Ben gave her hands a gentle squeeze, and then continued, "I never developed any real social skills. Half of my schooling was done on various starships by protocol droids or a single instructor. I was never around people my age all that much, so I didn't have any close friends. And when I was able to pick up the stray thoughts of people around me I felt their fear and anxiety as my powers emerged. Some were nice to me just because they feared I would hurt them. All of that led to me not trusting anyone. I became paranoid that no one was ever truly honest with me."

Ben found her tiny yawn adorable, knowing how deeply exhausted she was as it matched his own weariness. Today had been impossibly long and they were both gently fading despite the steamy tension. "When I entered Luke's Jedi Academy I remember being excited that I would finally be around people I could relate too. Others who knew what it was like to feel different. To know the living Force. At the very least they would be near my own age. But no one was like me. I was introverted and quite honestly, I enjoyed making sure they all knew I was the most powerful student at the temple. What they struggled mightily to learn in months of hard training, I mastered in days. So they began to resent me, and me them."

Pushing past an irrational fear for reasons she wasn't sure she could vocalize, Rey dared to ask in a whisper, "So no 'companions'?"

Ben shook his head, stretching his sore neck muscles about. "As in relationships, no. None."

For the greater breadth of her life she'd ignored or simply didn't care about anyone’s attractiveness. But here and now, her traitorous gaze drank in the deliciously tight, hard muscles of his arms and that Kriffing handsome face of his that left her breathless. "... were they all blind?"

Ben gave her an impish, appreciative grin. "I had no friends, Rey. Period. Nothing save a..." and he knew he had to share this ancient bit of personal information, "Very brief physical fling with someone when I was barely seventeen standard years old. Her name was Va'ar and she was a human Padawan same as me. She was one and only person I made any sort of real connection with. It was about a year into our training when we were sent on an extended mission off-world to locate an Outer Rim smuggler who was trying to sell what Luke thought was an ancient Jedi artifact. Turned out not to be the case. But I think we were both curious, and maybe a bit attracted, but nothing more came of it. We were 'together' three times and it ended without a second thought. We never even spoke of it afterwards."

Rey fell silent for a long contemplative moment. She was thankful Ben gave her the space to find her way. "I'm jealous."

"She was no one. A ghost in my past from so many tomorrows ago I vaguely recall..."

"Your definition of my jealousy is mistaken, at least partially," she amended before clarifying. "I meant that I'm jealous that you have had any romantic experience at all. I have had none. In any way, Ben." They shared a very serious, very sincere gaze as her soft breathing carried across the quiet dining hall. She pursed her lips and waited, searching for a reaction.

Rey was such a study on contrast to Ben - she was so incredibly strong yet vulnerable. Carried her innocence with honor, and yet possessed a wildly dangerous element to her soul. Her depth of caring and inner belief in people were indomitable and her precious heart was the most pure he had ever encountered. And yet in this moment she quietly feared his response to her lack of experience, where his only thought since becoming Ben again was that he did not and would never deserve her. That he would only taint the good in her with all that was ugly within him. "It is a curious thing how I am both heartbroken and pleased."

"It's not that I haven’t had opportunities. Especially in the last year. There were endeavors on more than a couple of occasions."

"Undoubtedly. You are as captivating as you are so beautiful, Rey." 

Though appreciative, she smiled playfully, "Tell me, am I beautiful right now wearing an assembly of bandages, an assortment of dark bruises, and a slight concussion where I believe I see two of you?"

Ben's expression shifted into a crooked Han-like grin. "Considering I couldn't beat Threepio in a race right now, I have a matching set of bruises, it hurts every time I turn my head, and I feel ready to pass out despite craving..." he trailed off, but noted the seductive twitch of her lips. He thirsted for another taste, desperately. He knew that she knew his gaze was fastened on her mouth. "I could not possibly desire you more."

Her blood warmed beneath her skin as his boldly sensual declaration erased the last remnants of her anxiety. "Once upon a time you told me I needed a teacher," Rey's soft tenor dripped with salacious honey. Her mouth curved into something wicked. Something salacious. "Shall it be you?"

Suddenly her throat constricted and her breath hitched when he revealed through their Force-bond a carnal fantasy of her draped over his mouth, his hands holding her down on his face while he sucked her sweet cunt until she screamed his name. The way her hips writhed over his hungry mouth, and yet he would not let her go as he drank her climax, feasting wildly, fucking her with his tongue. Her eyes shyly averted in the wake of his shameless lust for her. 

"If you wish it to be," Ben declared wearing a predatory gaze.

She Kriffing loved the deep tenor of his voice. It was so rich and seductive. It did things to her. It made her want to do things to him. "Then again, your experiences were over a decade ago," she teased as they were so close, still holding hands. "Perhaps I need a more experienced teacher," she had to nerve to fire at him. To tempt his ire. Ben's expression grew darker, wilder as he bent to her ear, his face brushing her cheek as he freed a hand to firmly cup the back of her Head and whisper one dark promise. 

"Never."

His raw intensity made her center clench with the need to be filled by him until she was dripping with his essence. She felt all of him through their Force-bond. The Darkside and the Light. The passion. The rage. The guilt. The pain. The power. The conflict and the resolve. He was more than an open book to her. More than a blank page awaiting the first fresh ink of a new world all their own. He belonged to her, and she to him. 

The hollow ache of the Dark Side that had lived in his soul and spread like a disease was no more. What he thought was dead within him had never felt more alive than at this very moment. He knew that he could easily wallow in self-pity for the rest of his days, or he could claw and fight his way out of the misery because he was alive. Because Rey was alive and with him. He wasn't alone anymore. He had read once in a beloved book from his youth that only the dead did not move on. "What little I know of love are faded memories of a time when my parents were in happier times. I can recall how genuine and sincere it was to see them together. The way they bantered and laughed and argued and somehow still loved each other through it all despite being very different people." 

Reflecting seriously on things he hadn't thought of in many years, Ben paused to collect his thoughts. "They used to make each other laugh so hard, and then anger the other to no end. They would fight, negotiate, make-up, and be alright again without saying a word. They were each other's greatest defender. They were best friends... and they were happy for a long time." He shook his head at how he'd coldly taken them for granted. How he just couldn't ever get that time back. "I loved how my Father used to look at my Mother. It's the exact same way I look at you now. You mean everything to me, Rey. Your faith in me has given me a second chance at life. And that's but one of the many reasons you are so very important to me. I love you, Rey."

There was nothing he said that was unexpected to her. His declaration was no revelation as much as it was blissful validation that she had been right all along. That she wasn't crazy or so alone she was seeing what wasn't there. Those precious, beautiful words of his filled her with such joy she could barely contain it all. 

Back on Exegol, from the moment her eyes opened as life soared back into her, the Last Jedi felt what was in Ben's heart, and her complete ownership of it. "Are you sure?" Rey warned in a voice so small she wasn't certain she   
spoke it. Even as glistening tears softly trickled down her face the raw emotion in her eyes was devastating. 

"I am," Ben assured her.

"You can't ever take it back," she bore into him with a deep conviction because of all the things that she has lost or never had in life, this would be the absolute crushing worse because he mattered to her the more than anything ever had. "Be certain."

Ben edged closer to her, imploring her to know his truth. "I won't ever take it back, Rey. I promise you."

Her eyes shut as elation emerged on the wingtips of a gentle smile. She gave his hands a firm squeeze, beaming at him with such warm adoration. Pride swelled in her chest as she felt vindicated in following her heart. "I... I knew you would turn," her voice trembled. Ben nodded in agreement. "And I knew your place was at my side," she noted with an air of defiance. "I saw it, Ben. I felt it deep in my soul that there was still good in you. That there was something worth fighting for. That the Dark hadn't driven it from you fully."

"You saved me, Rey," his whispered with reverence, nearly overcome by all that he felt for her.

"You saved yourself, Ben. I only helped show you that you could." Rey had never fathomed hearing those precious words from him because it all seemed so impossible that being together was ever possible. The Dark Side, the war, and everything had been against them. But love found a way despite it all. Kylo Ren was dead and gone. There was only Ben Solo now. 'Her' Ben. In her heart of hearts she knows that it was in Snoke's throne room just after they killed his Royal Guards, was the moment when her heart revealed its best kept secret. 

That it wanted him. That it coveted not just having someone all her own, but him specifically. That the mission to turn him to the Light for the sake of the Resistance wasn't the only thing at play. And now her belief in him, in them, was vindicated. She felt a sense of freedom she had never experienced before. The fear of finally opening her heart was no more. "I love you too, Ben. With all that I am."

Swallowing hard, Ben closed his eyes, allowing his heart to absorb the unimaginable. To fathom that he was worthy of having someone care for him so deeply was unthinkable. He had only ever coveted what would amplify his legacy. His assumed birthright of power. Kylo Ren's relentlessly selfish pursuit of conquest and obsession with following in his grandfather's footsteps led him down a path to ruin. A fools goal in hindsight, for all the power in the universe couldn't measure up to the woman he loved. He stared down at her small hands as he held them in his own. "Say it again."

Rey smiled at the near disbelief in his eyes. "I love you, Ben," she said, her eyes filled with joy.

When Ben considered the long hard journey ahead of him to make up for all the suffering that he caused, it seemed an insurmountable task that even the span of a long hoped for life wouldn't ever measure up too. The great work of his life that he even had an opportunity to chip away at that mountain of horrors he had committed was more than he knew he deserved. 

But having Rey's love... there was no comparison to anything he had ever felt before. The most important thing in his life was her. "I swear that you will get the best of me, always," he promised as she deftly moved between his legs. There was no hesitation when she climbed onto his lap, settling over him. Pressed her body against his and reveled in the sweet evidence of his hard arousal. They shared a hot smirk of anticipation as his arms closed tightly around her lower back, drawing her in as they rested their heads against each other, eyes closed, baring their souls. 

"I believe you."

Their mouths suddenly clashed with such raw hunger, sensuously swaying in a passionate rhythm they settled into effortlessly. And when he whispered her name she drew his tongue deep into her mouth and suckled on the tip. She groaned huskily when his strong hands palmed and kneaded her firm backside, anchoring her center over him. Forcing her to feel exactly what she had done to him. Her heart kicked into overdrive as they kissed, lost in him and him alone. In the love they were now finally free to let breathe. His mouth was soft and he tasted of the spicy drink they shared tonight. She knew she would never forget the flavor. 

Her fingers threaded through his damp hair, teasing the dark ends as his tongue lapped over her bottom lip before kissing her fully, deeply, passionately. She shifted over his lap, over the thick length of him in a slow shameless grind. Experience be damned, if what she was doing made him make noises like that, she knew she was on to something. His growl left her center throbbing and slick as she knew her innocence would be no more this night. His cock grew harder with every little brush of her tongue around his.

With things spiraling out of control, Ben made a harsh groan that wasn't nearly as sexy as it was... pained? Rey broke the kiss when she realized her weight was pressing over his bad leg. And when his hands gripped her sides to stall her wicked little moves she winced at the painful soreness of her ribs, shifting from his touch. Her hand braced over his shoulder and then she saw his jaw tighten in mild agony.

All that Rey could do, given the whimsical circumstances and the incredible events of the day, was begin to laugh.

Quietly at first, gently growing in volume until a sensational howl escaped her, followed soon by his own. There was an absurd quality to what to this night that was as charming as it was utterly frustrating. Rey sighed, "I'm fairly certain I have concussion-like symptoms. My head is spinning despite the drinks and how desperate I am to rid you of the rest of your clothing."

Resting his head over her shoulder, Ben chuckled because what else was there to do. And he absolutely loved the way she played with his hair. "I probably have a ligament tear in my knee and certainly bone fractures in my leg. The Force is the only reason I am even able to stand."

Rey shifted with a groan as she sat up a bit straighter. "I probably have a couple of cracked ribs on my right side and a sprained wrist."

"My shoulder is in bad shape. I can barely lift my left arm. I've been eating with my right."

"I haven't slept in two full days. I am utterly exhausted."

"I hurt my lower back when I was thrown into that pit."

"I broke a nail." Their eyes met at her quip, filled with mirth as they laughed quietly once more.

Gently rising from his lap, her eyes unconsciously locked on how deliciously hard he was and how proud it made her feel that she was solely responsible for his state of arousal. That he wanted her - desired her with a raw wild hunger she felt pulsing through their bond was simply intoxicating. It matched her own. Alas, her vision blurred for a moment as she settled herself to not stumble. "How about we take a very short-term raincheck on the lovemaking until we can both vigorously participate and not need a medical droid during or afterwards?" When Ben growled with frustration she snickered at how cute she found it. "Trust me, I am as anxious as you are."

"I highly doubt it," Ben mumbled under his breath as he slowly rose to his feet, wincing and grinning somehow at the same time. "I have imagined taking you a thousand different ways."

The tenor of his voice made her shiver with anticipation. She felt like his prey from the way that his gaze focused so intensely on her alone. "Then I look forward each and every one of those thousand ways. After all," Rey nibbled her bottom lip seductively. The expression she wore was as filthy as it was shy. "I need a teacher." When she saw the tick of his jaw and felt his undeniable lust she extended her hand to Ben, a poignant gesture that would always, always matter to each of them given their history. He took her hand and let her lead them out of the dining chamber. Well, he limped and she moved slowly but they were moving together in the same direction. That had to count for something. 

"I've never had a boyfriend before," unconsciously escaped her.

Ben tried stretching his arm out, pushing the sore muscles. "Neither have I."

She playfully poked him with her elbow as they walked together, making their way through the main body of the luxurious transport cruiser, and then past a ring corridor with mirror-polished ebonite walls. Ben gently tugged her hand back towards the cockpit, surprisingly enough. "So what's the plan?"

"You will remain here, Scavenger." Ben pointed to the ground as he edged through the cockpit's entrance, leaving her behind. Rey quickly darted in front of him, blocking the entrance.

Arms crossed her chest, she stood tall in the face of his towering height. "I think you need to rephrase that 'request', Ben."

"I am unaccustomed to those before me not following my orders," he attempted to playfully intimidate her. 

Not taking the bait, Rey's response was an ethereal fantasy sent through their Force-bond of her riding him on the golden throne of the First Order. Empress to his Emperor, they were clad in Sith-black leather attire, with only what was necessary pushed aside or down. Her hair was styled in a viciously high ponytail, her lips blood-red and parted as she glided over him, taking every inch of him. With her head thrown back in ecstasy, sliding up and down his thick cock while whimpering softly, her hands braced on his shoulders - she squeezed wetly around him in sync with her backside rocking over is lap, fucking him harder. His sharp intake of air was her tremendous victory as his gaze darkened. 

Though he appeared about to grab her, his only response was submission. "Will you please remain here, my love?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to take you somewhere and I want it to be a surprise," he explained in a sincere way. "We have several days to play before the New Republic wants us back, Rey. And I wish to spend every moment with you enjoying life. I think you're going to love where I'm taking you, and then you can surprise me with our next destination. Deal?"

Rey blinked, suddenly overwhelmed with excitement at the prospect of spending so much alone time with him. And of his cute thoughtfulness. So this was their grand reward for saving the galaxy. A short holiday before getting back to the serious work of the New Republic, rebuilding the Jedi Order, and dealing with their own issues that hadn't easily resolved themselves because they were now together. Time all alone with the man she loved... She had never felt more at peace, or enthused in all her life. She desperately wanted to contact Rose and talk her ear off, but she was too busy living in the moment. Moving aside, Rey added only one word. "Don't take long."

Grinning, Ben hobbled inside the cockpit and then slid into the pilot's chair, swiveling it towards the navicomputer. He felt Rey's gaze fall over him as he typed in the coordinates, scheduling the Hyperspace jump for two standard hours from now when they were asleep - and then his thoughts turned to his Mother and the Grandmother he never knew, but had read so much about. He stared at the screen charting their course and its many implications. He couldn't change a single thing that he'd done as a lifetime of regrets swelled in his chest. But he could be a better man and make better choices going forward. He could honor his parents by facing every single vile thing he had ever done and combat them all it with good deeds. With the Light. 

For the first time in his adult life, Ben Solo truly felt free. And it was the most glorious sensation he had ever felt.

Exiting the cockpit, he fell in step with Rey as they walked down towards the rear of the ship where the sleeping quarters resided. Thankfully the journey wasn't too far given his bad leg. As the four doors came into view on opposite sides of the walkway, Ben noted, "We haven’t yet discussed sleeping..."

"With me, Ben. You're sleeping with me."

They didn't look at each other and didn't need too. A shared acceptance was all that was required. Being apart had now become unacceptable. 

When they reached the sleeping quarters Rey used earlier, the paristeel door slid open, revealing a modern-eloquent black and silver decor clearly meant for someone powerful who required a private compartment that felt as elevated as his or her title. They ignored the ultra-expensive furniture as the magnificent bed looked able to comfortably sleep four people instead of two. A broad, curving floor-to-ceiling transparisteel wall echoed the endless starscape of space. They were drawn to it, moving so close they saw their reflections in the glass, peering into the unlimited possibilities that laid before them now. Ben's hand came to hers, twining their fingers as they leaned into each other and let time just lazily linger on by.

"You're yawning," Ben whispered into her ear before pressing a soft kiss to her temple. The rush of affection that came over her was delicious. He would have her feel that way a lifetime or several if he had anything to say   
about it. "Let's go to bed."

"I don't care that I won't be your first."

Ben was caught off guard by her unexpected remark, gazing at her as her stare remained focused on the stars. Her focus was ever what was ahead of her, never behind. He greatly admired that character trait. "The only thing that matters is that you will be my last."

"Then we are in agreement," she teased in while pulling him towards the bed until her it hit the back of her legs. Dragging a grown man to her bed was as foreign an experience as she had ever had before, but with Ben it felt so   
right. "I must ask, do you snore?"

Absently, Ben scratched the back of his neck, yawning himself now. It was so contagious. "I don't believe that I do, no."

"That is a good thing. I would hate to have to stab you again." As she pushed herself up onto the bed to sit at its edge, it had required a bit more of a hop given its height and her lack thereof. He had the nerve to be fighting an obviously teasing smirk. "Not a word, Ben Solo."

"I wouldn't dare," he brushed aside before tearing the heavy covers back so that she could scurry under. With a mild groan of his own, he moved onto the bed, meeting her in the center, and she just melted into his warm embrace. What should have, and one day would be a very romantic moment yet again evidenced that they'd been through a very violent day. Rey winced on her one side, and then comically rolled over his chest to the other side where her ribs didn't hurt as much. He was thankful given she was now next to his good leg, as the bad one was throbbing. Barely a heartbeat later her head was resting over his uninjured shoulder as he curled an arm around her slender waist, loving how her thigh warmed over his. This felt beyond intimate and just... right. Being with her felt right. More than anything ever had before.

Tugging one of several plush pillows for her to rest against, Ben settled in close, gazing lovingly at her. Overcome by how humble he felt to even be here. "I have never been happier in all of my life than I am right now at this very moment." 

Smiling, Rey brushed a tiny kiss to his bare shoulder, her heart absolutely overflowing with warm adoration for this complex man. "Things won't always be so easy for us you know."

"What gracious being desires an easy life, Rey," he replied. "Give us one with crushing obstacles to overcome. That's a life worth living."

Ben and Rey - They were a Dyad in the Force. Willed to be the two that are one. But that wasn't their natural choice. The love they share now is what bonds them, yet they operate under acutely different philosophies. They both possess such strong-willed, dominant personalities that fights are inevitable. After all, conflict is the underlying base of their relationship. He could enrage her like no other. She coursed through his blood stream now, laying waste to all that he had ever coveted until now all that he covets is her. Where she has every intention of rebuilding the Jedi Order, he would be content to tend to its grave while evolving something new for the future Force-users. She knew that he was a bit disappointed when she looked around this amazing technologically advanced starship he considered could be a new home for them, the scavenger in her had already mentally torn apart half the ship with parts she intended to modify for the Falcon. She thrived in crowds, while he loathed even the idea of them. In herself she believed, while he hated what he once was with all that he is now. 

But the incalculable love between them burned reminiscent of a super nova, endless and everlasting. 

Once more Rey tangled her fingers in his hair, toying with the silky dark locks as he stared at her mouth. She loved it when he stared at her mouth. When he craved her. They were snuggled warm under the covers with a background of stars, while the gentle sway of the ship was lulled her ever sleepier. The warm hand roaming her hip course-corrected to fill with a handful of her ass, of which he gave a hearty squeeze. "Nothing scares me as you do."

"And why is that?"

"Because I have loved nothing as I love you. And I have lost far more than I have ever owned."

"You could never lose my love, Rey." Her sexy little moan when he squeezed her ass again... "The sound you just made was sin incarnate." Ben felt her answering buzz of arousal that matched his own.

"Shall I ask for forgiveness?"

Her hazel eyes were positively dancing in the dark quiet of their sleeping chamber. Ben felt the indescribable urge to kiss her insanely perfect mouth, so he did... deeply, plundering her sweetness with hungry, passionate kissing. The heat of their kiss escalated wildly until he was sucking on her tongue and her thigh was flexing over his leg, grinding softly against it. His tongue was doing deliciously wonderful things and she was ever grateful they had mastered the art of kissing so quickly. 

Their mouths separated when air became an issue, barely a whisper apart. Her lashes fanned downward as a gentle blush colored her cheek. She bent to his ear and whispered once more, "I love you, Ben."

Closing his arms tightly around her, Ben burrowed his face in her soft hair, hiding from the emotion. His lips twitched when she suddenly imagined his face buried between her legs, with her thighs squeezing his head. "Rey, I swear you are playing with fire." Her little impish giggle warmed his heart. How he had ever been so sick in his soul that he thought anything compared to sharing your life with someone you loved. That feeling 'this' wasn't a greater thrill than any other. What a fool he had been, but never again. "My heart," he declared in hushed tone as their eyes met in the dark.

"I still kind of see two of you," she half-laughed.

"My leg just stopped throbbing, provided I don't move from this exact spot."

"If I cuddle you here I will probably fall asleep, but at some point I'm going to need to be on my back. So don't be offended if you reach for me and I'm not right next to you."

"Noted. Let's call it a night."

"But how are you going to fall asleep with your, ahem, affliction?" she asked with a teasing flair.

He felt her gaze lowed between them, the covers pulled just so. Having Rey peering intently at his 'thick' erect cock was interesting to say the least. That she didn't look away made it all the harder. "I'll think of something." He kissed her softly once more, brushing her lips back and forth before cuddling her to his shoulder, an arm around her waist, his hand spanned possessively over her thigh. Rey was out in less than two minutes and he lost himself in her slow, steady breathing.

Of all the ways he could combat his past, the Sith, and all that had a hand in manipulating and guiding him down the dark path - loving and allowing himself to be loved by Rey was the greatest victory of all.

******

The End of Chapter 2

Chapter 3 will be posted later this week. And it will be clothing optional/explicit Reylo @#$!@$^%$#!!!!


	3. Sated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben's family comes to his aid in his darkest hour, paving the way for a true and final victory over Emperor Palpatine and a future with Rey. (TROS Fix-It) Chapter 3:

******

Yawning beneath the warm covers, Ben roused slowly as awareness kicked in. The immense bed was foreign, but far from unpleasant. Luxurious even, and he was no stranger to the finer things in life. The subtle sway of a starship barreling through Hyperspace was a feeling as familiar as breathing to the son of Han Solo. He'd certainly spent more of his adult life in space than on any one world. As he was tipped on the edge of consciousness, hazel eyes cautiously opened to a beloved sight he didn't quite believe until the emotionally-charged memories of the last day crashed over him.

Surely this was a dream?

One the former First Order Supreme Leader prayed he would never awaken from.

Beside him, Rey slept so quietly. So at peace. The steady rise and fall of her chest was nearly as hypnotic as the lush skin exposed by her two top buttons being undone. Even bathed in the dim shadows of their bed chamber, she was breathtakingly beautiful to him. Soft. Feminine. Powerful. Unbreakable. He ached for her. It quickly dawned on him that they had talked and kissed and pledged themselves with declarations of love. His heart began to race as it seemed all so unimaginable. 

Unable to take his eyes off of Rey, Ben fell in love with the generous sprinkle of freckles that dotted her lovely face and the perfect shape of her mouth that he was now obsessed with kissing. He mentally catalogued every single detail of her so that he might never forget what mattered most to him. She was the reason he'd get through the dark days ahead. She was the inspiration to keep fighting because he wasn't alone anymore. Through their Force-bond he felt the security his presence blessed her deep sleep with, and was overwhelmed by the gift of its meaning. Neither worry nor anxiety lived in her soul this morning. He was with her. There was no fear. She knew he wasn’t going anywhere. No regrets. Her Force-presence was teeming with raw power and serenity the likes of which he had never experienced before. 

Ben wasn't sure how he could make anyone feel that way given his dark past, but he was tremendously grateful for it.

And she seemed to be slightly smiling as she slept. Strands of hair had pulled free from her buns in her sleep, which he found adorable on some level he never knew he was capable of. How had she resurrected aspects of his soul that he never knew existed? Certainly she had bewitched him.

With an arm tucked beneath her head, Rey yawned softly in her sleep, shifting ever so. In that little insignificant moment Ben felt a depth of protectiveness towards her that was terrifying as it was thrilling. That he was worthy of this woman wasn’t an answer he was proud of, but he silently swore he would live a life going forward to someday be. He had plans for her and her last name, but they were far, far off. A dream for another day. And when his eyes closed he was humbled that she was thinking of him even in her sleep. Though he did not probe deep as her private thoughts were her own, he sensed how dear he was to her. How irreplaceable he was now that their love was able to breathe in the light of day. How omnipotent love truly was at the end of the day. 

The Dark Side of the Force held no value to what was Rey's greatest weapon against it. Perhaps that was why she, why they, won in the end.

Faced with an overwhelming need, Ben reached for her. His fingers tenderly brushed the inside of her wrist before suddenly realizing his own wasn't hurting anymore. In fact, the bruising had faded away overnight. So had the deep cut near Rey's temple. That wasn't how normal healing worked, especially minus a Bacti tank being involved. He twisted his wrist about, and then stretched his injured leg and felt no pain at all. He bent his leg beneath the covers and it felt as strong as ever. Flexible minus any pain. No swelling whatsoever. His shoulder wasn't bothering him in the least as he lifted his arm, testing it. And then his gaze rose to a wall-mounted Kronos screen that revealed they had slept nearly nine standard hours. Calculating in his mind, he knew he hadn’t slept that long since he was a child. And never as peacefully as he had next to Rey last night. 

Ben felt rejuvenated. Strong. Vital.

Whole.

Shifting from under the covers, Ben edged ever closer to Rey, watching over her. Loving her. Wanting her. Mercy, how he wanted her and hoped he wasn't projecting too powerfully as he didn't want to disturb her well-deserved rest. Didn't want to break this quiet, gentle moment where he could just gaze at her and take it all in.

The multi-year Great Galactic Civil War was finally over.

The Resistance's absolute victory at Exegol declared the First Order's domination of the Republic was no more.

From the capitol cityscape of Coruscant to the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim territories, the Rise of the New Republic had just begun.

Rey's grand ascension as heir to the Jedi Order's Legacy was without question.

Ben's incredible return to the Light was complete. He was blessed with at least the opportunity to begin to work towards redemption. A shot in the dark, with many years’ worth of work ahead of him, but it was his to own.

The vile architect of every voice that had ever lived inside his head was dead and gone forever this time.

But so was his dear mother. The bone-deep regret burning inside his chest that they had never made peace while she was among the living would always hurt Ben. He grieved so much more than just the loss of her. The most valuable commodity of the living, time, was something he could never get back. But in his greatest hour of need he had felt Leia's unwavering love - heard the deep conviction of her voice and words of encouragement to fight. To never give up because she believed in him. She had forgiven him as his father did. Though hurting, Ben's heart was a little less broken and healing. It would be a lifetime before he had any real closure on any   
of this. Perhaps her Force-Ghost would visit him someday. He cherished even the possibility. To see her one last time would mean the world to him.

"Ben?"

Breaking through his inner thoughts, Rey's sleepy voice caressed his name as if he were her home. And he desperately wanted to be. Her eyes blinked opened to find his own. Joy lit her gaze. "I didn't mean to wake you," he noted quietly, now perched an elbow next to her.

"I just can't believe..." she wasn't able to finish as they stared into each other’s eyes. The moment was surreal, beautiful, and yet felt earned. Desperately wanted. Desired as they did each other. Rey reached out, resting her palm over his cheek, soothing the ache to touch him to her hearts content. Her smile beamed with such untapped joy. He was right where he was supposed to be. With her, always. "Good morning, Ben."

"Good morning, Rey." Leaning into her touch like a wild beast savoring the attention of a beloved handler, he reveled in her caress. "Our Force Dyad appears to be most merciful. I am completely healed."

Brows narrowed, Rey blinked, and then stretched, noting the lack of pain on her side. Her ribs felt perfectly fine. All of her did, mysteriously enough. Her senses were alert and her body felt strong. Rested. At peace. "How is this possible?"

"I don't know. Somehow we healed in our sleep. The Dyad's connection will require further investigating as there were so few throughout history. It appears we have many new mysteries to uncover. All things hidden are not yet known."

Her fingers teased the ends of his dark hair, taming an errant curl. "Look at you waxing poetic," she smiled at him.

"Blame the girl I slept with last night. She is the single most alluring woman in all the galaxy," he shamelessly flirted with her, loving the little eye roll she tossed his way. That innocent, appreciative blush of her owned every square inch of his heart. 

Her eyes danced with amusement. "Tell me, do you regale all women who stab you with such sweet compliments?"

"Only my 'Scavenger', whom I wish to never be free of."

"That is a very good wish, Ben." It immediately dawned on Rey that that their injuries and discomfort had been valid excuses last night for not crossing the physical line. But they were off the table right now as their eyes met and the unmistakable passion they shared roared through their Force-bond. Rey swallowed hard, feeling a bit flushed. A bit excited. And a bit nervous.

Sensing where this was going, Ben slowed things down. "I need to ask you something."

Rey sighed. "Ask away."

"What do you know of sex?" Ben inquired with a serious but respectful tone. He felt her ease concerning his question. She sat up a bit, giving this the attention it deserved. His beautiful, fearless Rey.

"Periodically through my youth Galactic Relief Aid Workers would visit Jakku and help the poor with supplies, vaccinations, food, etc. And a couple of times there were human medical staff with them. They would pass out booklets about health and hygiene, and talk to us about our bodies. About reproduction, our monthly cycle, and sex. So to answer your question, I have known since my early teen years about conception and how humans engaged in sexual intercourse. Age didn't factor into what they taught us because Jakku had no educational system. So I am well-versed in the clinical side of things. I know about diseases and how to protect myself," she explained as he listened intently. "Rape and the kidnapping of girls to be sold off-world in some form of slavery, no matter their species, was a far greater very real threat than anything else. So I tucked away the little knowledge I had and was more concerned with surviving the everyday dangers of Jakku than experimenting sexually. And I was so young it was all over my head."

Ben's elevated position in the vile governing organization that enslaved the galaxy only made things harder for the poorer worlds. Rule through absolute control held no value for compassion, justice, or kindness. Guilt coiled in his belly. "I hate that you had such a hard life, Rey."

"Don’t waste your time on that," she quickly replied with a shake of her head. "That hard life you speak of fashioned me into what I am today. It made me strong. Made me a survivor. Had I not gone through every single thing that happened I would not be here, right now, with you. The man that I love."

"Who wants to devour you."

And with those words Ben escalated the fire burning between them into a roaring flames, fading away their talk for his unmistakable desire to claim her. Through their Force-Bond she felt his lust and caring merge as one, centered on her alone. Protective and yet ravenous for her. She had never felt so desired before. It was thrilling to say the least. "When I became curious as I got older I managed to acquire some explicit human Holo-vids on Jakku," she admitted a bit shyly. "With my limited understanding of the specifics regarding having sex and the lack of any context for the people involved doing it, I found them gross for the most part."

"Not surprising. A great many of them cater to a specific desire or theme."

"They lacked any caring or engagement between the performers. It was all fast, crude, and just fake. I was not turned on by what I saw. But some of the novels I read enticed me," she admitted shyly, thinking of those long, lonely nights when her books took her far, far away from the misery of Jakku. "I liked the stories a lot, but especially the physical stuff as it was written far different than those HoloVids played out. And over the past year I've indulged in some racier novels."

Ben swallowed hard, his gaze focused intensely on her. He gave a nod for her to continue.

"I may have watched a couple of explicit human HoloVids in the past year," she revealed a bit sheepishly, suddenly not looking at him. "Rose shared some of her stash, as she calls it. They were a bit... softer, for lack of a better   
term. The girls seemed to be enjoying themselves rather than simply being used, if that makes sense. Even the rougher scenes felt more passionate to me. I was intrigued to say the least."

"And yet you took no lover."

"Though not for a lack of trying by a couple of interested parties - but I was not waiting for you."

Ben took no offense to that. "If I had left the First Order when I had the chance you would never have had to wait."

Rey quirked a brow. "So you admit the flaw in your choice that day in Snoke's throne room?"

She was teasing him now. Making light of the past because she lived, thrived in the present. She didn't look back, only forward. He sincerely hoped to adopt some of that mentality in his own life. And she was smiling so lovely he was breathless. "That is the last time," Ben deftly moved over her until she was flat on her back, gazing up at him, "I will 'ever'," his knee gently nudged her thighs apart, making room for him as he settled warmly above her, pinning her to the bed with his body. "Choose anything over you."

The seductive feel of him pressing down on her was intoxicating, but she used a fingertip to press to his mouth before he kissed her. "I want to confess two secrets."

"Be quick about it."

Ben was violently impatient for her, projecting so powerfully she felt lightheaded. "One, I’m a little crazy about your perfect hair and that killer smile of yours." His hips rocked against her, grinding over her center with a firm thrust that made her groan breathlessly. But she was not deterred. "Two, I detest morning breath and find it very unsexy. And since we had a very diverse dinner last night as well as an entire bottle of wine, I think brushing our teeth before we..." gave a flair of her wrist between them, "Would be a good idea. Plus I have to pee. As I recall I drank most of the wine." 

Rey laughed when Ben dramatically dropped his head to her chest and growled. "Five minutes. A second longer and I hunt you down."

"Ben..."

"Run!" Ben glared down at his prey, rising from her and sliding off the bed in a flash. He turned on his heel and quickly fled the bed-chamber for the Refresher he had used last night. 

With her heart beating faster than it ever had before, Rey was on her feet, racing into the nearby Refresher to do her business and then thoroughly brushed her teeth. She quickly splashed some warm water on her face, and then retied two of her sleep-tossed hair-buns in record time. "Kriff!" she quietly cursed at the mirrors reflection, her eyes bright with desire, skin flushed ever so. It was about to happen! It was 'Go-time', as Finn put it whenever they embarked on a mission. Bye-bye virginity. Ben's return to the Light put its existence on a countdown timer and it was almost down to zero. 

Rey desperately wanted to call Rose, who was her sounding board for such things - who could make sense of her crazy with Rose Tico crazy, which was very crazy at times, but there was just no time. 

For the girl who bested a Sith with no prior experience with a lightsaber, and then surrendered to the First Order with no real plan because she believed in her heart that Kylo Ren would turn back to the light, and then traveled to Exegol to confront the Emperor because she was not ever ruled by fear - there was a precedence for her courageously facing things she had never done before. 

Her 'Just go for it' attitude had served her well thus far. Ben was hers and she intended to have him until he couldn't be had anymore. She had always been a quick study, so she had that going for her. "Let's do this!" was her final little pep-talk moment in the mirror. She gave herself a fist-bump, and then stalked out to find Ben.

She should have known his patience was non-existent.

The very moment Rey exited the Refresher Ben captured her from behind, effectively hauling her off her feet. Drawing them into the shadows, his strong arms entrapped her as his back slammed into the wall behind him, and then his mouth fastened to the side of her neck, kissing and sucking wildly over her pulse. A sharp cry of surprise erupted from her throat, and then ecstasy at the feel of his mouth marking her skin. Of the graze of his teeth. The sensations were blinding as their bodies pressed together.

Rey delighted in response to his audible groan when she pressed her backside against him, arching to grind against the hard length through his thin sleep-pants. A husky groan escaped her when his warm hands pushed beneath her night-shirt and filled with her small breasts, cupping them fully as she pressed in his cock. Her voice fled her body as it trembled when his fingers rolled her peaked nipples, twisting new sensations throughout her body. "Ben, yes..."

"All mine!"

Emotionally synced through their Force-Bond, Rey loved how deeply Ben craved her. Needed her more than he had ever needed anything before. It felt spellbinding to be so desired. So coveted. She wanted to always feel this way. To have him as desperately greedy for her as she was for him.

With his hands warmly kneading her breasts, seducing her senses, Rey peered over her shoulder. Her lips parted ever so, and boldly declared, "Ruin me for anyone else." 

Pausing as her wicked words seared into his soul, Ben's teeth bared to her soft skin, marking her with a not so tender bite. Hazel eyes darkened as a desperate, animalistic groan escaped her. And then he trailed a hand down the right side of her body until it delved beneath her sleep-wear, seeking her. Brushing over the softest curls, he firmly cupped her warm, slick mound. Rey cried out at a touch not her own, shaking against him as three fingers began slowly stroking her sex with smooth endless circles, driving her straight out of her mind with pleasure. The filthy-slick sounds left her blushing wildly as he stroked her into a frenzy. She was squirming, arching into his touch, overwhelmed but unafraid. 

Pleasure flooded her senses. When her legs spread just a little wider apart, inviting him, he fell into a carnal rhythm that lifted her to full-blown cries of passion as she slicked his fingers. He knew exactly how to get her off. Knew how she did it when she was alone in her bunk at night and desperately needed the release. 

Writhing in sensual bliss against him, Ben vigorously stroked her cunt with one hand while the other pinched a taut nipple as her short, sharp moans grew louder in volume. Nothing had ever felt as hot as his talented fingers moving between her thighs, delving, stroking her just a little faster. His thick cock throbbed against her ass, dying to be inside her. To finally feel her wrapped tightly around him as he took her. Filled her, fuck he was close already and still in his fucking clothes. He felt absolutely drunk off the sensation of her slender hips moving against him. Of her being so uninhibited. Of the sensual whimpers that escaped her mouth and the pleasure she was feeling that no one had ever shown her before. No one but him, and ever would it be only him! 

When Rey tilted her head towards him, Ben crashed his mouth over hers. Their kiss was electric and raw, vibrant with the pure hunger they felt for each other. When his tongue lapped the seam of her mouth, she granted him entrance, brushing her tongue along his. She grinded against him, feeling his hand moving between her thighs, inside her sleep-wear, his fingers dragging her ever closer to a blissful end. And then he roughly brushed a calloused thumb over her engorged clit that sent her flying. 

Rey felt the sudden, fiery tension soar within her towards an erotic crescendo. 

Breaking their kiss, Ben leaned to her earlobe, bit it with his teeth, and then the deep baritone of voice ordered, "Cum for me!"

She did that very second, crying out as his name spilled over and over from her lips in pure worship. Her thighs squeezed his hand so tight her knees buckled as a savage, wrenching climax thundered over her - through her as his fingers stroked her through every pleasurable throb, drawing out her ecstasy until her hand stilled his when she could take no more. Surely he had marked the skin of her neck with how hard he was sucking, but she fucking loved it, slumping backward against his chest, panting wildly as he held her against him.

Trembling with her back pressed his broad chest, a shiver ran through her core as she gently came down from on high. She whined softly when his hand finally ascended her sleep-wear, and then the vision of him lapping her juices from his glistening fingers was breathtakingly sexy. She spun in his arms, drew his face down to her, and crushed his lips possessively with her own. There had been no hesitation or shyness on her part. Rey kissed Ben like he was hers and nothing would ever change that. She was shaking with desire, their mouths swaying hungrily. And when they finally broke, breathless and panting, she lowered her voice and whispered, "More."

Bending down, Ben hooked an arm underneath her knees and lifted Rey into his arms, carrying her the short distance to the bed. He gently laid her down on the end, and then stood between her spread legs, gazing intensely at the lovely flushed expression she wore. Her kiss-swollen lips. Her post-orgasmic smile was so soft and sexy his cock literally throbbed to be inside of her. But he was going to take his time. 

Ben swore he was going to make this incredible for her.

Lying flat on the edge of mammoth bed, Rey couldn't take her eyes off of Ben when he lifted his right hand, and with a subtle swipe the rest of the buttons on her top came undone at once. And then the black garment peeled open as her small breasts were revealed to him and all she felt was an incredibly hot wave of lust from him. That she was exquisite and his. What she didn't feel was a single self-conscious beat about anything because he loved her more than everything. The tiniest of tremors laced her voice when she noted, "I think that can be classified as inappropriate usage of the Force."

"Trust me, Rey," Ben declared as he edged closer, his gaze roaming hungrily over her. "You haven't seen inappropriate use of the Force. Not yet. Not with the mastery I will tame you with. But you will."

Swallowing hard at his decadent promise, Rey felt shivers of need course through her. With her heart slamming in her chest, she watched Ben slowly glide his hand down his belly, ever lower at a lazy pace meant to leave her breathless, until he firmly cupped the heavy thickness of his cock while staring directly into her eyes - her voice fled her throat, lips parted as she felt the raw desire coursing through him that belonged only to her. It felt thrilling to be so wanted. So loved. It was torture. Delicious torture watching him grip his cock hard while thinking only of her. All that she could do was lick her lips in invitation. And marvel at how that much man was going to fit inside of her.

When his free hand, Ben twisted his wrist in a subtle corkscrew along his hip. Rey felt the Force swell and flow around her lower body, humming its presence - and then she felt a gentle tug along her hips - a phantom touch that somehow wasn't began drawing her sleep-wear down her slender thighs, lifting her lower body barely an inch to draw them off her feet. They flew across the room so far she wasn't sure where they landed. But she felt the intensity of his hot gaze drinking her in. Felt lightheaded at exactly where it was centered. She was fully exposed to his desperately wolfish desire. Bared to him now physically as emotionally. 

Ever one to crush fear within her, Rey slowly parted her thighs, granting him all of her - letting him drown in the sight of that which he craved. The glistening little rose between her thighs, his focus was blinding in the Force. No man had ever seen so much of her, but then again no one had ever mattered as much as he did. She felt tender and needy beneath his possessive gaze. Slick. Ripe. Sensual. Nervous. Anxious, and yet so hotly aroused she couldn't wait   
any longer. "Ben..." her voice came out breathy and vulnerable.

Hazel eyes were dark with passion as he moved over the bed - descending warmly over her, pressing her down into the warm sheets. His mouth hovered just above parted lips. And then he bent to her ear and whispered, "Rey, I am going to suck on you now, and I won’t stop until you cum in my mouth."

Rendered utterly speechless by his salacious promise, Rey shuddered ever so as Ben pressed soft open-mouthed kisses from her mouth down the side of her face, tapering off her cheek, trailing down along the regal column of her throat, descending until he perched above a peaked chestnut nipple. Her eyes slipped shut when she felt the heat of his breath fan sensation over the straining tip. Her breath caught as she waited impatiently. She was dying for him to just... suddenly her fists clenched the bed sheets in a death grip when he firmly lashed her. The sensual stroke of his tongue rocked her to her core, and when it began wetly curling round and round the nipple she arched up, seized by this unfamiliar pleasure that swept over her in sweet waves - she listened to the rapture of his licking until at last he captured the peak in the humid confines of his mouth and began to suck hard, and then harder.

Helpless to his passion, Rey moaned loudly, squirming over the bed, loving the way Ben tugged at the tip until it stiffened. He trapped it against the roof of his mouth, bathing it in warm saliva, before suckling her deeply. He was relentless, drawing on it with heady pulls that left her panting. His hands spanned her hips as he took his time with her, kissing across a lovely sprinkle of freckles to tangle the other nipple with his tongue, and then wetly dragging around the gentle slope of her breast - touring the shape before suckling her until her fingers tangled in his silky dark hair, boldly forcing him where she wanted him.

Ben's cock was so hard he had to thrust at the bed to relieve the tension. He reveled in Rey's bliss through their bond. Loved how she learned pleasure from him before any other - and there would be no other. Releasing one pebbled tip, now shiny from his loving, he began kissing his way down her trembling belly as she whimpered softly in anticipation. Snarling over her flat stomach, Ben playfully dipped him tongue in her navel, swirling it around as she bucked beneath him. He growled when his name flew from her lips with a little giggle - and then her trepidation over him sliding between her thighs. "Have you seen what I am about to do to you before?"

Heat throbbed between her legs as Rey nodded. "Ye... yes."

Ben's cock throbbed over the rumpled sheets at the subtle tremble of her voice. At her innocence. Her urgent gaze filled with intense anticipation. That she was so affected. That she was so needy her thighs quivered alongside his   
head. She wanted this as desperately as he did. The aroused scent of her was driving him absolutely mad with desire. His eyes feasted on her. "I have never done this before, but I will master your body. I will be the sole author of your pleasure." And then his eyes lifted to capture hers. "I am going to feast on you until you beg me to stop... but I won't." 

"Gods!" Rey gasped sharply as delicious little shivers coursed through her. She watched with a near hypnotic flair as he inhaled a deep drag of her sex, and then opened his mouth around her. She felt the tiniest element of unease and curiosity that melted away the moment his tongue parted her nether lips, spreading them as he began lapping hungrily with firm strokes. "Ben, Oh Ben... yes." Her breath caught at the soft circling caress of his tongue swirling her endlessly that sent ripples of sensual pleasure throughout her body. Her thighs tensed around his head as she fought the delicious mounting pleasure. 

Making love to her this way on instinct alone, Ben focused on her energy through their Force-bond, lashing up and down her glistening slit, burying his face between her thighs while feasting on her. Judging by the passionate cries she was rewarding him with he must have been doing it right. The taste of her exploded his senses as his tongue began firmly lapping over the swollen nub of her clit with brushes that left her twisting beneath him. "So beautiful, Rey," he growled into her rosy cunt. His hands slid under her, cupping the firm curve of her ass, holding her where he wanted her as she arched into his mouth. He dipped his tongue into the silky depths of her, drinking her sweet taste as her thighs shuddered around his head. And then she cried out when his tongue stroked over the swollen nub of her sensitive clit, driving her mad with pleasure the likes of which she had never felt before. 

The filthy-erotic noise of him sucking her pussy as she grinded her hips against his mouth left her dripping wet. Her hips swiveled to keep up with him as he sucked on her. They were fully synced through their Force-bond as he was attuned to exactly what drove her crazy with desire. She closed her eyes, back arched, listening to the sheer hunger of him lashing her clit with broad strokes of his tongue. Her sensual sighs and whimpers filled the air. She was teetering towards ecstasy, needing just a little more. She writhed against the erotic stroke of his tongue, her body unconsciously trying to break free even as he held her down. Held her juicy cunt to his mouth, sucking wildly, driving her insane with lust. 

Rey gasped as she wiggled against his mouth, and then her hands cradled the back of his head as her hips rocked into his hunger - nails dragging over his scalp, coursing through his dark locks while he drew her clit into his mouth - the dirty lustful sounds he made amplified her mounting climax as the pressure built fast. The louder her cries grew, the more he responded with his tongue sending her to the stars. He gently nibbled her erect clit, lashing it repeatedly, then sucked it into his mouth keeping it wet as he could. His hands filled with her firm ass, her body shuddering with delicious spasms that blissfully broke free!

Finally her thighs clamped around his head as the pleasure throttled her with a devastating orgasm. "Uhhhnnn... Ben, I'm cumming... ohfuckI'mcumming," Rey cried out, nearly shifting her body sideways as the pleasurable waves crashed through her. At no time did Ben take his mouth off her. He held her down tighter, growling like an animal at her juicy release, chasing every last drop. He was starved for the taste of her as her hips bucked, her legs wrapping tightly around his neck as she rode her orgasm out until the very end. 

Drowning in the throes of blissful aftershocks, Rey threw her head back against the bed, her gaze fixated on the ceiling while still clutching his head in her hands as her hips rocked gently against his beautiful mouth. Through it all he was still vigorously suckling her clit as orgasmic pleasure ripped through her. 

Fuck, she knew she was never going to be the same. No way! The door to this new pleasurable world was now open and she had every intention of tearing its hinges off. Shivering, she finally tugged a handful of his hair to get his attention. "Ben," escaped her lips on a breathy whisper. She felt him panting over her sex, and when her eyes dared open his mouth and chin were glistening with her release. His gaze was wild with desire for her. Shame burned her cheeks at how she dripped from his lips, her passion trickling down his chin. It was the absolute most raw, sexual thing she had ever seen. 

Grinning wildly, Ben pressed soft kisses to her inner thighs, reveling in her bliss. The light scent of her feminine arousal drowned his senses as he was covered in it. He now had a new addiction. "I love you, Rey."

Her heart soared when he took his time crawling up her body. They stared into each other’s eyes and knew that being apart could never happen again. She scarcely recalled shrugging off her night shirt, its whereabouts unknown. All that she did know was the incredible man above her now, lying between her spread thighs, gazing down at her with adoration and lust was all that she had ever wanted. Someone to love and be equally loved by. "My Dyad," smiled brightly at him, and felt the warmth of his reaction fall over her. "I want to see all of you now."

"Patience." Ben took one of her small hands and drew it down his body, surprising her when he then pushed it inside his sleep pants. His vision closed and he inhaled sharply when she immediately wrapped her fingers around all of him, filling her fist with his hard cock. Her eyes widened at it size. At its length and firmness. Having never touched a man before, she marveled at the way his expression softened, yet grew taut with fiery intensity. Instinctively she began to stroke him from root to tip, her fingers ghosting the curly hairs at the base all the way back to the weeping tip. Their Bond revealed how he wanted it as she stroked him until his head gently bowed to her chest in sweet surrender. A guttural groan fled his throat as he grew harder in her fist.

Rey suddenly understood what he was doing. Ben was granting her control. Knowledge. Letting her learn and set the tempo. And just like that the space within her heart swelled with even more of him. And all of this without a word spoken between them. 

She felt equal parts desire and amusement at the power she wielded over him. That he was every bit as affected, physically and emotionally, as she was. And when she found her rhythm, stroking him harder, getting a feel for what he loved, his hand covered hers to pause. His eyes were shut, lips parted, and she found the vulnerable expression he wore incredibly hot. His cock pulsed in her fist, the tip weeping ever so. When she tried to move again he halted her   
attempt. "But this is mine," she pouted in the most innocent filthy-sweet whimper, nibbling her bottom lip when his eyes fell to her. She loved how he burned for her. 

"It's pretty big." A giggle escaped her when it throbbed in her hand and she felt his male pride at her claim. She suddenly felt like needling him a bit more. Her voice came out just shy of whimsical and with a touch of awe. "I didn't know they came in this size."

Ben moaned into her shoulder. "Oh... Ok, now you're just teasing me."

"... only a little, which this is not at all," she really did tease while applying lighter up and down action that left him panting over her breasts. "One day I'm going to suck on this when I'm a little braver." The heavy pulse she felt in her fist caused her to smile. 

No one had ever taken over him the way Rey had. Mind, body, and soul he was lost to her and knew it. Thankfully, his lust-tinged thoughts cleared for a moment of clarity to ask, "Rey, we need to see if the ship has any..."

"Shhh," Rey interrupted, and then brushed a lingering kiss over his mouth just to taste him. Her fingers uncurled as she gently released his cock, having felt what he was concerned about. "During a time of war passions can flare often, and with that in mind the Resistance leadership provided pregnancy preventative measures to everyone with a hardcore suggestion we use them until the end of the war. Though I wasn't seeing anyone at the time I took a three-year pregnancy injection two months ago," she explained, and then added a bit unconsciously, "So we don't have to worry about any little Solo's running around for a while."

And then her brain literally shut down. Rey felt like an idiot as soon as the thoughtless words fled her. It only occurred to her afterwards the impact and monumental implication of what she'd said when he stilled above her, peering deeply into her eyes with the tenderest expression she had ever seen before. 

"But someday you would want children?" Ben heard himself asking, his expression unreadable.

With her heart racing, Rey couldn't quickly enough bind the mental reply of 'Only with you' and saw the powerful recognition cross his handsome features. But she wasn't so high off passion that she was unaware they were in the so-called 'Honeymoon' phase of their new relationship. Everything was amplified tenfold and emotions were running crazy high. She had to dial it back a little. "Someday is a long, long, long ways off, Ben."

Ben swallowed hard, contemplating. All that he could do was look at her. Consider. Try to wrap his mind around even the possibility. Who he had been and who he was today, obvious differences aside, weren't remotely ready for   
Fatherhood. Still, Ben's heart had never felt more hopeful than at this very moment. Building upon his redemption had never held a greater reward than this far-off dream. "When I've proven myself to be a better man.... maybe built up some equity in terms of trust and honor. When I've done some meaningful long-term good in the galaxy I... I would not be opposed to little Solo's."

His tone had been even and clear, yet through their bond he felt overwhelmed in the best way ever. Rey blinked back tears, her heart caught completely off guard. "Ben..."

"Every moment I don't allow myself to heal and grow - to dream and plan for a new life and move on, Palpatine wins. The ugliness of my past wins. So while I am nowhere near ready for a family yet and I have an endless amount of personal issues to work through, someday..."

"Someday," Rey repeated quietly, but with a soaring heart filled to overflowing. Ben covered her mouth with a soulfully-deep, devouring kiss as the length of his cock parted her slick folds, gliding against her. She shivered beneath him, her back arched, her hips silently urging him to take her at last. The seductive feel of his hands sizzled over her bare skin, lighting fire to her bloodstream. She felt him shift to shove his sleep-pants off, baring himself to her greedy gazed. His beautiful cock looked so hard her mouth parted in equal parts gentle-anxiety and lust. Her senses were on overload as her eyes drank all of him in. 

Needing to touch him, Rey wrapped her fingers around his cock once more, summoning her fearless streak as he gave a low groan when she stroked him from root to tip. She felt him swell in her fist. Felt how deeply he loved her. Felt the sheer power she held over him.

"Are you ready?" Ben asked behind a deep kiss and a lazy brush of his tongue over hers, chasing the taste of her. 

Lying back on the bed, Rey's lips parted in a silent plea, her expression blushed with innocence and desire. She gave a tiny nod, and then felt the blunt head of him press against her entrance. Holding her breath, her gaze focused on where they were about to be joined - and with slow deep thrust of his hips she felt a sudden, sharp pinch that made her gasp loudly as he filled her. She cried out his name to the stars, her innocence lost, as he spread her tightly around him with a careful surge of his hips - so much that her nails dug into his shoulders nearly breaking the skin as he gently fed more to her. Pain tinged pleasure-tingles gripped her as she instinctively clenched around so much of him, overcome by the sense of their connection fully manifested in the physical now. 

Submerged in the most exquisite warmth, pressing her down into the bed as he filled her with that last inch that saw her sweetly gritting her teeth. Ever mindful of this being her first time, Ben reigned in the wild beast to give her time to adjust. He concentrated on the steady beat of her heart against his chest, while his warm hands spanned up and down her bare hips in soothing caresses. She trembled beneath, clutching onto him with all her might, her eyes shut tight. His hand gently caressed the back of her neck as he watched her breathing calm.

Ever one to choose her own path, Ben suddenly felt the Force amplify through their Bond in a wild rush, with her focus being the nexus. Peering down at her, Ben found the most filthy-impish grin reflected back at him. "Are you healing yourself?" Ben enquired, feeling her actions through their bond. She made no attempt to hide what she was doing. "That's cheating," he teased her.

Her breath came in tiny moans and gasps as her inner muscles seized around him in gentle squeezes. Ben Solo had to be more man than most, and her limited experience with HoloVids echoed that 'clearly. He was 'blessed' to say the  
least. The discomfort she felt was hot and real, but fading fast as she concentrated intently. And then she drew him down to her and playfully bit the side of his neck, grazing her teeth just deep enough, causing him to gasp. "Fuck," her legs closed tightly over his lower back, "Your," her fingers combed through his silky dark hair, "Scavenger," and then she squeezed around him, suddenly understanding how that worked, "Now!"

"Dammit, Rey," Ben growled before capturing her mouth in a hard, devouring kiss as the sweet hollow of her thighs nestled him perfectly, welcoming him home. A sharp sigh of pleasure escaped her when he gently withdrew nearly all the way before claiming all of her once more, filling her until their bodies were locked tight. Until the heady slap of flesh rang out. Ben felt lost in the heaven of her, teeth gritted, now thrusting into her at an even pace. Motion. Depth. He was learning what felt amazing to her. Found his rhythm as old as time itself, her snug channel suckling around his every withdrawal before he spread her around him once more.

"You feel so good, Ben," Rey whimpered softly as the glorious sense of being filled by the man she loved swept over her. Eager fingers canvassed his lean, hard body as she committed to memory every part of him she could touch. He felt so warm and hard and just perfect as they fucked. All discomfort gone, the delicious stretch of him was a fast addiction she knew she would never be free of. His masculine scent filled her nostrils, while his heavy frame held her down on the bed in a way that turned her mind to mush. She felt the tension strain in his taut muscles as he surged into her, the erotic smack as arousing a sound as she'd ever heard. They were kissing passionately as a symphony of bed squeaks surrounded them. Finding her confidence, Rey began lifting her hips, catching up to his rhythm until they were fully in sync, moving as one. 

Rey felt him smile at her newly discovered carnal skill. Whatever side of her that began as coy vanished. "I'm a fast learner," she whispered sweetly.

"... reminds me of our first lightsaber dual."

"The one I won, if I recall correctly."

Ben's gaze narrowed, but his hips didn't miss a stroke. "You... you try fighting after taking a full-on blast to the side from Chewie’s crossbow... fuck... see how well you fight after that."

"This from the guy I stabbed with his own lightsaber and you didn't even scream. Your threshold for pain is far greater than most. Try again."

At no point did they stopped fucking, thrusting even harder now while staring into each other’s eyes. "Brat."

Her lips twitched impishly. "'Your' brat."

"Always." The sultry feel of her wrapped tightly around him seared his senses as they moved as one, vigorously making love, kissing passionately. Her thighs closed around him and her stomach muscles tensed as the hard impact of their fucking dominated the bed chamber. His hands moved beneath her, cupping her firm little backside as his knees anchored into the mattress for leverage. The supple cheeks of her ass clenched in his hands as he thoroughly, deeply fucked her harder. Gasps and moans came one after the other, tumbling out of her in a lustful rush. And when her eyes closed and her lips parted he felt the tension coiling within her. 

The heels of her feet rubbed up and down his spine as he fucked her with strong lunging thrusts that shifted them over the sheets. Their Force-bond was positively vibrant with unrestrained energy as they mated. Low throaty growls escaped Ben as he fucked Rey, sinking deep each time their hips met with a rhythmic smack. 

"I love you," tumbled out of Ben with every surging thrust, pounding her into the bed with hard, loud thrusts as he knew she wanted. Needed desperately. Through their Bond what she was craving was far from innocent. She wanted something hot, primal, and possessive that felt like a force of nature. That felt like them. He inhaled her small mewling cries as he felt her violent ascension, the shivers coursing through her thighs signaling how close she was. Her legs curled tighter around him, arms rounded his neck. Her tongue explored his mouth as they kissed. Her legs rose up around him as she met his aggression to force her peak, answering his hard thrusts with her own.

"You're mine, Rey!"

Shocks of ecstasy surged through her straining nerves as a deafening cry of hot pleasure tore out of her when she shattered wetly around him, squeezing the hard length of him desperately as her body jerked beneath him. His beloved name, by the Force, his name was all that fled her lips in a flash as she came hard. 

Watching her orgasm twist passionately over her beautiful face was a fucking revelation to Ben. The most erotic, sensual thing he had ever seen. And he was the one who had given her that! Only him! Something in his soul roared. A rage lived within him to see it over and over for a lifetime. 

Her heart rattled in her chest as she gasped, panting wildly, lost in the pure emotion of having cum all over his cock. Having all of him as she would accept no less, ever. Her smile was bright behind closed eyes, finally understanding what all the fuss was about. Only then she came to realize he was still so very hard within her and had not cum yet. Her gaze reopened to him, blinking. "Tell me," she breathed heavily, "Tell me what you need."

"Was it good for you?"

Rey felt the sheer depth of his love and adoration fall over her so honestly tears glistened her eyes as this emotional moment was every bit as important and monumental to him as it was to her. He didn't just want, he needed this to be special for her. That he cared so much touched her greatly, but she wasn't feeling particularly sentimental while still so full of him. She was still so hot she was burning up inside. "Ben, I am so pleasure drunk right now I can't think straight. But trust me, it was spectacular." Her hand gently caressed his face, gazing into his eyes as she drank in another full-blown Ben Solo smile. "It could not possibly have been better."

'Good' he sent through their Force-bond. Ben could not love her more, but he needed her now. "Turn over on your stomach." When he gently withdrew to sit back on his heels she didn't hesitate to do as he asked because Rey never   
hesitated. His cock bounced at the delicious sight of her lean, petite curves. Tiny and perfect, some deeply male part of his brain growled possessively. He found her without flaw and felt her blush at reading his thoughts. His voice was barely above a whisper when he ordered her. "Spread your legs for me."

Shaking in anticipation, Rey had expected him to want her on her knees as she'd seen that position before in a HoloVid, but was game for anything he had in mind. The bed-sheets felt pleasantly damp and warm against her skin. The scent of them was everywhere. Her confidence soared knowing that his attraction to her was so blinding, as was his appreciation of her raw power. She felt him soaking in her love like a barren desert blessed with rainfall after an endless drought. He had been starved of love and caring for so very long, but never again. Peering slightly over her shoulder, she declared, "I love you, Ben. It's you and me against the galaxy now."

"Am I 'Your' Dyad?"

So he remembered when she called him that in the heat of the moment. Felt him grinning wolfishly behind her. Felt his burning lust for her throughout her entire body. "'My' Dyad, yes." 

"Love you," Ben whispered as he lowered down over her, covering her slender frame as his cock lined with her rosy entrance, and then sank into her warmth in one smooth thrust that made all the air flee her lungs. She sucked in a breath as her body twitched and seized around him, so slick from her recent release his glide in felt amazing. He felt so strong above her, the seductive weight of him settling onto her turned her on tremendously. Her voice was a deep purr when she admitted, "I've never seen anyone couple this way before."

"Couple?" he snickered with a hint of amusement as his hips flexed, feeding her that final inch that saw her fists clutch at the bedsheets and her back arch. Brushing errant strands of her hair aside, he rained loving kisses over her shoulder.

"Fine, mate. Have sex. Get it on." Did he just giggle against the side of her neck? Surely she didn't hear that. Couldn't even fathom it. And then she mouthed a very quiet little innocent, "Fuck," as he began smoothly gliding into   
her. The sweet suck of her inner muscles closing around him when he pulled back almost to the tip, and then forced her to take it all on in one hard thrust was thrilling. She felt so full of him - mind, body, and soul. "Yesss!" she groaned in sensual delight, her nails digging into the wrinkled sheets, bunching between her fingers as the impact of his thrusting felt so hot she could barely take it.

Sweating with effort, Ben rested his forehead against Rey's back, grunting with each hard thrust. Nothing had ever felt as perfect as being inside the woman he loved. She shivered and arched beneath him, her sex sucking deliciously around his length. As he took her from behind, he was drowning in raw pleasure, lost in the desire to finish now as his body begged versus making her cum just one more time. He sank deeper and deeper into her liquid heat, pressing her down into the bed, loving the sweet little whimpering sounds she made. "Love you so much, Rey."

"Even though I won our first dual?" she panted, gritting her teeth through each word.

Ben gave her particularly deep thrust that made her cry out. "I withdraw my offer of assistance in helping you acquire a last name someday."

"So the name Rey Solo no longer holds... Mmmmm Ben..." He began fucking her harder the very second that name fled her lips, pounding her into the bed as she moaned desperately into a pillow. He captured her hands, raising them above her head, holding her down by her wrists while fucking her. She jerked with ecstasy as little zings of electricity skittered up her spine as she descended into a ragged fit of harsh moans, grunts and groans. His hips crashed into her from behind, flesh slapping erotically, loving the feel of his hard cock thrusting so deep inside her. She felt impaled and taken as pumped into her, sheathing himself within her warm, snug passage. 

The sound of her name connected to his own was a thought-bomb emotionally detonated inside his skull. There was no concept or reason why it affected him so. But it did. "Say it again!" Ben snarled while surging into her, owning her pleasure as a mask of sensual wincing crossed over her lovely features. 

Her sensitive nipples brushed over the damp sheets as the scent of them dominated the air. The filthy noise of rough fucking settled around them as Ben delivered deep, jolting thrusts that left her whimpers muffled into the pillow - her resolve frayed at the edges as she felt the tension coiling once more in her belly. The pleasure-soaked tingles that left her shaken as he held her down, taking her. Through their Force-bond she felt he was so close. The hard, uneven thrusts now echoing how he'd reached the limits of his restraint. In that instant she realized that no matter how possessively he was fucking her, she held all the power. And she knew it. "...will it make you cum if I say it?"

"Yes," growled into her ear as his hips grinded into her, fucking her wildly, silently begging her to push him over the edge.

He was shaking above her, trembling, holding on by a thread, dying for her to give him that final push. She blushed at how wet she was, feeling the smooth glide of him sinking into her each time. The delicious stretch as the weight of him over her - pressing down on her - the downright animalistic vision they made now had her shaking too. Within her as he continually hit that one sweet perfect spot that sent her mind buzzing with pleasure. 

Feeling bold, Rey tilted her head to stare into his lust-darkened gaze. "Rey Solo," escaped her lips on a tone as soft as a whisper. Ben snaked a hand between her legs, stroking her swollen clit with vigorous circles. Pleasure ascended at a violent pace, suddenly overwhelming her. Three deep, impactful thrusts later she felt him, every inch, every vein, every ridge grow stiff as he sank deep and grunted her name over her shoulder as heavy warm gushes that filled her to dripping. She was shocked by how quickly she came the second she felt him climax inside of her, so hard and intense, jerking over the bed as he fucked her through it all.

A blissful silence settled in as their red-hot passion cooled to a soothing vibe, their damp skin warmed by the bed-chambers automated climate control. 

Rey hummed softly when Ben gently slumped over her, sated and boneless. Closing her eyes, she fell into a pleasurable lazy-haze barely conscious, barely aware when he gently slipped from her, falling beside her in a heap that bounced the bed gently due to his size. When he gathered her in his arms they were a mess of tangled sweaty limbs.

And yet neither had ever been happier in their entire lives.

As Rey settled warmly against Ben, she giggled into the crook of his shoulder, and then brushed her sex-wrecked hair off her brow. "Well I think that went well". His light chuckle curled around her heart as she cuddled into him, loving how safe and protected she felt in his embrace. Surely he was the home she had always longed for. "I mean, I have nothing to compare it too, but I gotta think we rocked!"

Stretching his long legs, Ben yawned against the top of her head, and then pressed a kiss into her hair. "You were incredible," he said and loved how good that made   
her feel. "I think you fucked me into memory loss."

Shifting in his arms to face him, she replied cheekily, "Very good answer," and then kissed him soundly. Deeply. Possessively. Through the vibrancy of their powerful Force-bond she was blessed with the brilliant sense of peace he felt in his soul because of her presence in his life. But she also sensed a vulnerable side of him that feared he did not deserve her love. Or to feel any real joy at all. That he should always fear losing whatever he loved most dear because he deserved no less than that. But there was an inner toughness swelling within him as well that rebelled against all the harsh negativity swirling in his head because he had so much to fight. He had her, and she was everything to him. The pecking order of his heart held her place at the very top, undeniable. She was worth fighting for. She was worth everything.

"You're poking around my head," Ben noted quietly as his fingers caressed over her bare lower back, touring the sweet feminine curve and the softness of her skin.

"I didn't mean to pry." Deep down she knew he didn't mind. Her voice was the only one he wanted in his head. But she knew he was not even a day into taking the very first steps of a long, hard journey towards redemption. Even in the bliss of their union, she recognized so many of his old emotional wounds as they were a perfect reflection of her own. "You're a good man, Ben Solo."

Resting his head against hers, Ben closed his eyes and sighed. "I haven't earned that title yet."

"But I know it’s true."

"And you're probably the only person in the galaxy that feels that way." 

"In time more will come appreciate all the incredible things you are going to accomplish and at the very least come to respect how hard you worked to try and make things right."

His Scavenger was so gloriously optimistic. Ben did not wish for a day to come where that would change. "Not everyone. That's not realistic."

"No, not everyone," she agreed. "But no one pleases everyone. There will always be those that can't ever see past the past. And the ones who do come around will matter a hundred times more than those who never do."

Her positivity was utterly blinding. It was something he was going to have to get used too. And maybe, just maybe, take a bit of it for himself. "I can never truly make things right, Rey."

"Every day you try is all that matters," she assured him. He made a mildly dismissive sound, but thought not to argue any further at this time. She decided to switch topics. "We've been in Hyperspace all night long. So where are you taking me?"

Ben angled his head to peer at the wall-mounted kronos. "We're less than three standard hours out," he told her, avoiding her teasingly sharp glare that he fess up. "Be patient. I know it’s hard for you."

"That's not the only thing hard," Rey teased him with an arched brow as her arm snaked between them until her fist curled around the rising length of his cock. He drew in a hissing breath, his glare narrowed at her. With a lazy corkscrewing motion she began stroking lightly, loving how it grew stiff on her command. Her confidence soared at the state her caress could undo him. "Now where are you taking me?"

Ben's jaw ticked as he struggled to resist her playfully evil ways. Her filthy-cute smirk that she had him right where she wanted him rose his temperature. "That's... that's so not fair."

"Fair enough," Rey sing-songed while gliding her hand up and down his shaft, gripping him just a little bit tighter, loving how thick and hard it felt in the palm of her hand. Kriffing perfect in her eyes. Bending into his ear, "You know I can take whatever I want," she gracefully echoed those words back to him from what seemed like a lifetime ago. She had never forgotten them. 

Gritting his teeth to ward off how deliciously amazing her hand felt, Ben was ever defiant despite his obvious arousal. "I won't talk."

"I'll 'make' you talk."

There was a devious promise lacing her tone of voice. The dark spark of her eyes as Ben groaned despite himself and felt a sharp spike of her arousal and playfulness. She was toying with him and he knew it. "You know, I wasn't exactly gentle for your first time."

"I didn't want gentle. I've known little that was gentle in my life," Rey explained away his concern. "I wanted my first time to be wild and thrilling. Something maddening. Desperate as if I was going out of my mind to feel more than I had ever felt before. But most of all I wanted you - and now that I have had you, I want you again." The intensity of his gaze made her quiver against him as their eyes locked. And then she felt his slight hesitation and the origin of it. "I am in no discomfort, Ben. I promise you. Tender but eager would describe it best. Now kindly tell me where you are taking me so that I may claim you properly."

Ignoring her, Ben turned his attention to the ceiling, lying flat on his back, vision skyward. The picture of aloof royalty. "You will find out in due time, Rey. And not a second before. You should not defy me." 

"And I think you need a lesson." Releasing her hold, Rey crawled over him, and then slithered back to straddle his lap, trapping his cock between her legs against her weeping slit. And then she began to slowly slide his twitching length over her mound still slick from his release inside of her, rocking her hips so that he knew just how wet she was for him. And how she loved it. Loved him. "I have always wanted to try being on top. Give me a second to figure it out."

Spellbound by her boldness, Ben's mouth parted when she angled her hips, and then rested the head at her silky entrance - she oh-so slowly sank down around him, pumping her hips ever so to take more, savoring the feeling of having him pushing inside, stretching her until she was so full of him she whimpered at the sweet depth. He was mesmerized at the snug heat tensing around him. He had never fathomed anything could feel as perfect as this. Or anyone would have ever been as special to him as his Scavenger was now. Reverence lived in his gaze as she settled onto his lap. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. With her buns pulled free, her chestnut hair cascaded just over her shoulders. She wore a beautiful blush that took his breath away. She bent over him as her hands braced on either side of his head. The naughty smirk she wore hovered just above his mouth. "Do you think this is the correct path to achieving your goal?" 

"So you don't like the sight of me seated over your lap with your hard cock buried inside of me?"

And just like that, Ben's perception of Rey grew. Expanded. Evolved. She was everything he thought she was before and so much more now. There were new words that curled around his opinion of her. Sensual. Erotic. Curious. Naughty. Just shy of evil. Wicked. His Scavenger reveled in the power she wielded over him. She was so beautiful it was blinding. "Why... why can't you just wait until we get there?"

He shivered beneath her, and felt so hard inside of her. "I couldn't wait until you turned from the Dark Side back to the Light after little more than touching your fingers and you think I have patience for a vacation I have never had in my entire life?" Before he could respond her mouth slanted over his, kissing him deeply as she began slowly rocking on his lap at a sensual gallop. She gave her slender hips a little swirl and then collected the data that he really, really liked that - so she added it to her repertoire. Her hands slid beneath the back of his head as she grabbed fistfuls of his raven hair, threaded her fingers, and began fucking him at an increasing pace - rising and falling   
around him. "Tell me what I want to know."

Ben hissed when Rey captured his nipple in her mouth, lapping with her tongue while grinding on his lap. He reached for her hips to guide her, taking the strain off her legs. The filthy rhythm of her rocking up and down his glistening cock as it sank into her was enthralling. He palmed her firm ass tightly with his large hands, cupping the cheeks hard while thrusting up each time she descended. Spreading her around him. Making her take it all! Their Force-bond was a dizzying rush of wild pleasure as the erotic slap of flesh colliding filled the air. "You won't win," he groaned as she rode him right out of his mind, his vision blurring.

She was in touch with every little twitch, every pleasurable moan, and every harder squeeze of her ass as evidence of just how close he was. And she would use this against him even as her body became that much more addicted to his. To all those deliciously lean muscles and that hair she so dearly loved. And when he looked at her like he was right now, with such genuine awe, she had never felt more beautiful or wanted in all her life. "Maybe I'll stop and go enjoy a hot Refresher."

Ben knew she wouldn’t dare as his hands pulled her tight against him. "Why must you be so defiant?"

"Why must you be so stubborn?"

"You'll find out when I say so."

"But," she rose high, nearly to the tip of him, "I want," she glided down all the way to his lap with an emphatic smack that forced a husky groan from his throat, "To," she gave a seductive grinding swivel of her hips, "Know," rose once more, "Now!" slammed down hard while squeezing him inside of her. His eyes rolled as she felt utterly triumphant. He only needed to be pushed a little more. Bending to his ear, she captured it between her teeth, bit gently, and then whispered, "Tell me and I'll make you cum inside me so hard."

There was a sensual aura surrounding her that nearly stole his breath away, murdering Ben's resolve. He was so fucking hard while watching her riding his cock, seated exactly where she belonged. The little sway and jiggle of her small breasts were hypnotic as she made love to him. Ben rose to draw her nipple into his warm mouth, lashing the hardened nub before suckling with hungry pulls that left her whimpering. But even at the height of their passion, Rey settled calmly over his lap, not moving at all - while his cock furiously protested as he had been so close. "Rey," he panted,

"Where are you taking me?" she asked one last time, and then punctuated by a salacious squeeze around him that parted his lips with a husky groan. He looked positively spellbound and she knew she had him right where she wanted him. 

"Can't it just be a surprise?" he noted through gritted teeth, worried that besting her was futile at this point.

"My way is more fun," she stole a passionate kiss from him, wild and furious. "Give in to me, Ben. Tell me what I want to know." She rose nearly to the tip, and then sank down around him once more as he made the most painfully perfect noise in protest. Bending to his ear, she whispered, "I belong only to you."

"Naboo!" he strained to say, and the moment he did she began riding him vigorously, feeling the tight wetness close around him, pulling him more fully into   
her warmth. His defeat would be the sweetest as she took what she wanted, chasing her own climax and dragging his own along for the ride. "Fuck, Rey!"

"Mine!" Rey flicked her hair back off her shoulders, her face a mask of erotic concentration as she rocked over his lap harder, fucking him. His fingers dug into her hips so hard she knew she'd feel the phantom intensity for days. Fiery sensations crested as the first pleasure-soaked waves crashed over her suddenly, violently. "Ben!" she cried out as her sheath tightened around him, tensing time and time again as she came over his lap. Teeth bared, she pumped her hips hard and fast to finish him off as he stiffened deep inside of her.

Riding hard, Rey was milking him, demanding his cum, and with one last powerful down-thrust he came - a harsh cry of surrender forced from the pit of his throat as he erupted in long pulsing lunges inside her, his hips pumping erratically, filling her with his warm seed as her cunt suckled the last drops from him until he had no more left to give. Until his hands shook as they held her down so she couldn't move anymore because he just couldn't take anymore. A soft giggle bubbled out of her as she pressed her mouth to his. "Love you, Ben."

The grip on her hips released as his strong arms rose around her, clutching her to his chest. Their hearts beat furiously as there were no words for what she made him feel. What she meant to him. How precious every moment with her was and would always be. His fingers softly caressed the dip of her lower back as her head rested over his shoulder in a pose he prayed was repeated ten thousand times more. The carnal scent of them hung heavy in the air. Sweat-soaked sheets were damp against their skin. "You cheated, again."

"Rey doesn't play fair."

"Rey speaks in the third-person?" Ben felt her smile against him and loved the soft sound of her laughter. Loved the feel of her petite body lying over his, sated and curling around him. Of her being in his embrace and the dearest peace within her soul he felt through their bond.

"You'll have to forgive me, my mind is a little bit loopy after all the sex," Rey cutely reported as he brushed a kiss over her forehead, ever mindful that neither of them was alone anymore. He was softening inside of her and everything was extra sticky and tender right now. Her body was certainly announcing it needed a break. "You're literally dripping out of me." She felt a sudden rush of male pride through their bond and playfully bit the side of his neck. "So tell me about Naboo. I vaguely recall Leia telling me it was her birthmother’s homeworld." 

Ben hummed when she rose gently to release him, and then rolled onto her side, lying so close their legs touched. He rested next to her, and then used the Force to pull the covers over them. "My mother always said Naboo represented the very best of the Old Republic. She described it as a glorious jewel near the lawless Outer Rim that never wavered in its responsibility to its people and the Republic," he began. "My grandmother Padme served as Queen for a number of years before becoming Naboo's most outspoken Senator. My family’s history is deeply entrenched on that world."

And then Ben considered rather sadly how little vested interest he'd had in learning his famous grandmother's history as a youth when he'd been so caught up in his own belief that he was ever being denied. The voices in his head were vested in pushing him as far away from his family as possible. "I remember visiting there when I was young and thought it was a paradise far unlike the bustling never-ending cityscape of Coruscant. I always thought it was a quiet green world of great natural beauty with a vast array of varied landscapes. There were rolling plains as far as the eyes can see to grassy hilltops that I imagined having grand adventures on as a Jedi. Numerous sparkling lakes are surrounded by truly breathtaking mountain ranges. Naboo has managed to maintain being a vastly modern society while losing none of its natural beauty."

"It’s sounds amazing. Do you have any fond memories there?"

Ben thought for a long moment, granting long-dormant feelings to surface. Wildly colorful festivals that went on all night long and endless green hills swept over his minds eye. He thought of the new memories he could make with Rey there. He thought of his father, and it was crushing. "I do, actually. My mother bought an estate in the Lake Country that my grandmother once owned. I'm curious about its condition now. It’s been so many years..." he trailed off wistfully. "But my Father and I used to race speeders over the grass plains from sun up to sun down. He taught me so much about piloting and showed me so many tricks for making devices perform better than any engineering master could ever hope to know. He was clever beyond words. And the first time I ever flew the Falcon by myself was on Naboo." 

Rey's eyes lit up at that revelation. He wished his own could match it. "My Dad taught me so many things my mother hated... I took so much for granted, Rey. I've made so many mistakes," Ben recalled in faraway tone. He felt Rey's caring gaze upon him. 

"I brought you to Naboo to introduce you to a paradise because you deserve no less. And this is one of the few places I have any real affection for. My mother came to love this world and even my Dad didn't mind a short break from the noise of the Republic's capital. When they were there they were happy."

He had shared his body with her, but he was now sharing his heart. Though conflicted, she found it utterly beautiful. Even all its pain. Rey felt a growing sense of protectiveness for him unlike any she had ever felt before. "Thank you. I love you." Ben kissed her again, deeply. Verbal expressions of love came easy for them when it would seem logical to be overly cautious with such things. Tight-lipped and unsure. And yet in this quiet, private place they could not imagine denying themselves for the sake of emotional fear because fear had ruled them long enough, but no more. They were one in the belief that the only true way to fight the bad things that happened to you in life was to keep moving forward. 

Her arms curled around his neck as they swam in the warm waters of being free to love each other. In their multi-limbed embrace they held each other, with her face nestled against his neck as silence enveloped the bed-chamber. This was their private, quiet time to just enjoy each other. To actually start to consider and tuck away what it is to be in love. 

Ben nuzzled her ear, and then whispered, "You rode me so good, Rey." He adored her spark of feminine pride at his claim, even as she blushed a crimson shade of pink.

"This is all so..." she tried to describe it, searching for the words. ”I think there's this new side of me that's awakened. I'm wanting to push things, if that makes any sort of sense. I... I love our passion. I love how comfortable I feel with you. Safe. Beautiful. I guess I just feel like I’ve waited for so long and now I'm finally free to indulge any desire."

"Feel free to indulge me anytime you want."

She smiled at him. At his playfulness. Felt the love and lust laced within. "So how do you feel?"

"Free. Happy. Torn that I deserve either."

Her precious Ben, ever conflicted. "I think it’s important to remind yourself you're at the starting point of your new life. There will be highs and lows, but you're determined to walk in the Light. For every negative thought, combat it with a something positive, no matter how big or small. And just live."

Ben pressed a kiss to her wrist. "You're far to wise for someone your age."

Rey rolled her eyes. "Hardly. My biggest secret is that I don't really know what I am doing, but I try my best to see the best in life and pursue it - even though it’s thrown a lot of bad at me."

"Better days are ahead."

Their gazes locked. "Yes, they are."

In Ben's eyes Rey burned so white hot nothing could ever extinguish her. Why she had chosen him was still beyond his comprehension, but he graciously accepted the greatest gift he had ever been given. Suddenly the starship jostled hard, and through the broad transparisteel wall that wrapped around their bed-chamber they saw the bright lights of hyperspace fade as they arrived in orbit above a beautiful emerald world. Beyond that stretched a vastly expansive, endless galaxy waiting to be explored. 

But first, they were going to play in a paradise.

Ben watched the youthful awe etched on her beautiful face, and felt such excitement at their upcoming adventure. He had made her happy and felt it. He had never felt more accomplished. "Don't forget, we have access to twenty-five million credits.

That astronomical number alone was mind-boggling to Rey who was familiar with not having enough credits to eat on a given day, and a tiny bit uncomfortable. "Have you forgotten we need to choose a world to build a new Jedi Temple on, then build the structure, begin searching for Force-potentials, and then provide for their daily needs and lodging? None of that will come cheap."

Ben took her hand in his and rose, leading her from the bed to stand before the clear wall with Naboo beckoning them with its beauty. "I won't waste any time arguing any of your valid points. But I want to enjoy paradise with you and be a little frivolous and carefree for this short time before we set about the serious business of the galaxy." Bending to her ear from behind, his arms closed warmly around her middle, drawing her back to his chest. "While I am ever mindful and respectful of your humble beginnings, will you please let your boyfriend spoil you for the next couple of days? I promise I won't go to crazy."

Settling back against him, both as nude as the day they were born, Rey considered her long hard journey here and couldn't for the life of her come up with one single argument that she - that they didn't deserve to be young, wild, and carefree at least for a little while before their lives were consumed by the empowering of the New Republic. They might not get this chance again for a very, very long time. "Boyfriend, huh?" she smiled and was heard in her voice.

"Well, you're not a Solo... yet."

Rey bit her lip to restrain a cheeky reply. The sheer insanity of his tease considering they are not even a full twenty-four standard hours into their relationship was easy to grasp, but try telling her heart   
that. Try to hold back the tidal wave of emotions even the notion of becoming Rey Solo someday created in her. She blushed and sighed happily as all fight left in her surrendered to this man and what he made her feel. She clearly reminded herself that this short trip was their reward for saving the galaxy. "I need to take a long hot Refresher session and you need to gain us clearance through planetary security. How about you throw on some clothes and do that while I clean up first."

"Or I could join you?"

"Then I would never get clean," she verbally poked at him. "Now go before we are surrounded by Naboo Starfighters. When you establish communications reach out to me through the Bond and I'll give you my Resistance clearance code."

Stretching his arms out as he yawned, Ben began slowly backing away while admiring the petite beauty of his naked Scavenger. Her rosy glow and sex-ravaged hair... Her Force-presence was a powerful vibrant hum he found intoxicating. "I am going to show you the time of your life."

"And now I am immensely curious as to what exactly that will entail."

******

Future chapters will be shorter for the sake of faster posting. And the smut train isn't going to stop for even one chapter!! 

Chapter 4: Rose and Rey catch up. Anakin. Ben and Rey might get arrested. Wall sex. Bounty Hunters.


	4. Naboo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and Rey catch up on the eve of her mission to Exegol. Rey learns more about the man she loves so deeply now as their trip to Naboo takes center-stage. Ben's rather interesting kink amuses Rey to no end as their passion burns white-hot.

"Beautiful New Light of Day"  
Chapter 4/?  
Written by: Shawn30

Ship: Devoted Reylo  
Category: Angst/Drama/Romance/Domestic Reylo/Healing/Passion/Rough Sex/Some subtle kinks :)  
Timeline: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker at the moment Ben awakens in the pit.

*******

Rose Tico's living quarters  
Section B-2  
Located on the temporary Command Center of the New Republic  
The jungle moon Ajan Kloss

As the last gentle fog of sleepiness tugged Rose from a warm slumber, she slowly roused to dual sensations warring for her undivided attention.

First was an annoying throb of a headache currently drilling its way into her skull courtesy of personally downing an entire bottle of Elister Correlian wine during last night's all-night victory celebration. Post the bottle, she then engaged in a furious make-out/mouth-fucking session with Cehzer - whom she thankfully didn't drag back to her quarters as it was a bit too soon for that. Flirting for a couple of weeks wasn't enough for her to take someone to bed, although she was damned tempted and was seriously craving the release. Nonetheless, kissing the ridiculously sexy bearded starship-captain had been spectacular even with them both being three sheets to the wind drunk and giggling half the time.

Secondly, but by far more importantly, was this wild sense of freedom bursting from her soul. Though nearly incomprehensible to have even imagined no matter their unrelenting courage, the Resistance somehow won the war. They devastated the now-fractured and leaderless First Order, thus ending the Final Order before it ever began. A united galaxy fought against tyranny and won. Praise the Force, her closest friends - Finn, Poe, Rey, Weyland and F'awn all lived through the hell of Exegol with incredible stories to tell that would last a lifetime.

But never far from her thoughts, Rose's heart still ached over the devastating loss of the General. She took comfort in the fact that Leia's indomitable spirit and unwavering belief that they could find a way to win the war were with them through it all - and ever would be. She was gone, but never, ever forgotten.

General Leia Organa-Solo was legend. 

Her mouth curled into a brilliant smile as she yawned, now seated up in bed. She stretched her arms high above her head, loving the soothing pull of muscle while wiggling her bare toes against the soft sheets. Though a bit woozy via her hangover, she couldn't recall the last time she'd felt so good. So at peace and hopeful for the future. 

And then her thoughts turned to her beloved sister Paige. Her arms curled around her as she craved her sister's presence more than anything in existence. But Rose felt Paige in her heart, where she would live forever. Their journey of being raised on the harsh Hayes Minor mining colony, to the First Order decimating their world, their parents deaths, and them fleeing for their lives to the stars - homeless and desperate before being welcomed into the Resistance by Admirals Gial Ackbar and Amilyn Holdo, followed by falling under Leia's command felt like destiny now. 

The hard road they traveled to last night’s victory would define Rose for the rest of her life. But she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt there was nothing she couldn't overcome. 

"I did it all for you sis," Rose spoke into the ether, her eyes closed as she hoped the Force would carry her message to whatever lay beyond this life. "I will love you always, so keep your eyes on me. I'm going to do great things."

Beyond the thin walls of her small quarters lived the boisterous noise of a bustling packed spaceport, makeshift as it was. Transport shuttles, supply carriers, dropships, and starfighters from over a hundred worlds were lifting off as the grand armada that rose up to defeat the Final Order began splintering back towards their home worlds, now safe in the knowledge that the Resistance has evolved into the New Republic they fought so hard for. That their losses and sacrifices were not in vain. That hope and justice and equality has returned to the galaxy once more.

Conversations in a myriad of dialects accompanied dozens of speeder-bike engines buzzing by her window, rattling the frame as Rose climbed out of bed and reached inside her night-stand to pop a couple of pain pills in her mouth chased by a swallow of water. And then started a pot of cafe. 

Life.

Signs of life and renewal were all around Rose. And she now had her own sexy fly-boy with the pretty brown eyes who was a great kisser and clearly thought she was awesome. "And he's right," she grinned as she bounded for Refresher to answer the call of nature.

After a quick sonic shower and a fresh change of clothes, Rose poured herself a steaming cup of cafe and literally thanked it for clearing her head as she began searching for her Nova data-pad. It was time to start putting together the team she was to command. Her orders, her mission, was of great importance and she had never felt more ready for a command and her elevated place in all things going forward than she did at this very moment. 

She'd earned it and she knew it.

The thought of returning to Exegol left a bad taste in Rose's mouth as she'd never return to that accursed place if it weren't so vitally important to the New Republic. But the knowledge that she would take from Palpatine all that he intended to use to destroy and rule awakened a newfound ambition within her. Those Capitol Warships and all that advanced engineering tech used to create them would be a true symbol of victory and a show of Force that the good guys were not to be bullied anymore.

Rose began noting who to contact concerning building a short-term control matrix on Exegol, specifically near the ship yard. She would also need some sort of environmental control hub, even if it only bought her a few miles in radius. Anything to assure her transport ships could land and leave safety. The few days ahead were going to be solely prepping for this mission. Securing the pilots, engineering, tech, and fuel. But she was looking forward to it. To the challenge ahead. 

No longer content to simply watch history happen - she was ready to make it happen. To be an author of it. And attach her name to the top billing.

Sparing a glance at herself in her small vanity's mirror, Rose loved the capable woman staring back at her. A strong, healthy, vital woman that she was damn proud  
of. Vastly comfortable in her own shoes. A month or two on Exegol would yield an incredible armada for the New Republic. A visible deterrence and show of force for any future would-be aggressors. 

Despite a night of celebrating hard, drinking harder, and likely all sorts of debauchery because for Force-sake they'd just won the war - Rose sighed happily with a carefree heart. This was the new beginning they'd worked so hard for. Bled for. Died for. But it was all worth it.

A familiar beeping suddenly drew her attention as she watched the Holo-Comm rise from her corner desk. Once prompted she gave a verbal answer command, and then was met with her most radiate looking best-friend in the galaxy, whom she so desperately missed.

Rose and Rey favored each other bright smiles before speaking.

"Where in the Kriffing galaxy are you, Madam Jedi?" Rose playfully teased wearing a grin as she straddled a chair, pulling it closer to her desk. Rey's familiar Jedi attire and three-bun hairstyle were impeccable, thankfully, and she looked far better than she had last night. She looked great. No, scratch that. She looked positively radiant. The 'why' question had an obvious tall, dark, handsome and lethal answer. This was prime gossip time as her eyes narrowed. "Talk."

"Naboo," Rey answered as a shiver of excitement danced up her spine. She couldn't help shifting a little as she stood in front of the wall-mounted Holo-Cam near the cockpit where Ben was prepping their final landing approach. "We should be landing shortly. Clearing their orbital security check-points. Looks beautiful," she offered a bit breathlessly while peering out a portside hub. There was more blue and green on this world than any she had ever seen before.

Gracing Rey with the kind of deeply personal appraisal only a best-friend could perform, Rose quirked a curious brow. She recalled from one of the General's many stories that Naboo was the home-world of her birth-mother. Padme, she recalled her name was. No doubt this was Kyl... she quietly amended, Ben's idea. But it was Rey's pretty hazel eyes that were so bright - so wildly full of life, yet tinged with a new wicked edge. Her secretive little smile that bordered on a naughty smirk was whispering secrets dying to be revealed. Couple that evidence with the unmistakable red marks on her neck as the moment clearly dawned on Rose in full bloom all things became crystal clear. 

Leaning in a bit closer to the Holo-Comm, invading Rey's personal space despite their distance, Rose narrowed her gaze evilly. "Rey got fucked, didn't she?"

The Last Jedi's oh-so crimson blush was instantaneous as Rey's expression erupted deliciously. All white teeth and joyful, like a sunrise on a blessed new day. Rose, blunt as ever, was not going to let this go. Not that she had anything to hide. 

"It was incredible," Rey quietly breathed, her heart still racing as she felt Ben's powerful Force-presence nearby, and then shook her head at how deliriously happy she was. At how foreign that feeling felt to her. A loner for more of her life than she knew was healthy, she didn't feel alone anymore. She had purpose, the dearest of friends who she considered family, and Ben. "I'm not just talking about the sex."

"But the sex was incredible?"

"All three times, yes," Rey eagerly emphasized to Rose's mock-shocked expression. Her voice lowered an octave as she peered over her shoulder for the sake  
of privacy. Ben was still in the cockpit awaiting clearance and a landing port position. "I don't even know where to begin."

"As happy as I am for you," Rose began as she took on a more serious pose, "You know I'm worried about you."

Rey expected as much given everything. "I understand that."

"You 'might' be moving a little too fast."

"Oh, I know we are. Like light-speed fast," Rey half-chuckled, half-sighed.

"And Kyl..." Rose quickly, politely amended, "Ben is just beginning his journey. And it's one I don't even know how to wrap my mind around to be perfectly honest."

"He's ready," Rey boldly proclaimed, with no small amount of protectiveness in her tone. "He knows the rest of his life will be dedicated to trying to make up for all the evil he caused. He understands that. The gravity of it is tremendous, but he accepts it. He owns it."

Rose didn't need the Force to see what was so clearly written all over her best friend's face. "I saw you two sharing a cafe last night," she pointedly reminded.

Rey gave an impish grin. "Did you now?" Rose nodded, smiling. "And you came to the conclusion that..."

"You two are madly in love with each other. And you are moving way too fast. And that neither of you care."

Exhaling a deeply held breath, the truth of what Rose said was undeniable. "Neither of us have felt like this before," she began honestly. "Being in love and even making sense of the term... I personally have no reference point for any of this, and Ben's Dark Side reconditioning robbed him of so much. But we are deeply devoted to each other and being together. And we know everything seems perfect right now. I even told him about the honeymoon-phase thing where a couple can be so high off of love and passion and just being together that they are blind to anything counter to that. But we know that the real work ahead. The day-to-day relationship stuff on top of his recovery from the Dark Side and making peace with his past will take years of work. My rebuilding of the Jedi Order to serve the New Republic and how we find a way to weave all of that together will take far more time than this little holiday trip we're on."

"But you are so happy," Rose noted what she saw and felt her eyes, now wet with tears of joy. Long, painful talks on many bad nights over the last year revealed the harsh life Rey has led for most of it. They had that in common. "And while I do not understand the Force or what exactly leaving the Dark Side even means, I want you to know I'm pulling for Ben to prove me wrong. But when I look at him I can only see the First Order and how they took my parents and sister away from me. To be honest with you it’s going to take a very long time to come for me to come to grips with him sincerely trying to be a better man. But I am willing to try. For you."

"Rose, I love you. Thank you so much. Giving Ben a chance, even just one, is all that I can ask for. You're... you're just the best."

"I am."

"You are."

"So... uhm... how big is his..."

Rey blinked. Twice. And then narrowed her gaze, and then whispered. "No video you ever gave me to watch featured a man as much man as Ben. And I'll leave it at that."

It was Rose's turn to blush as they shared a giggle. "So whatever are you two going to do on Naboo 'besides' screw each other's brains out constantly?"

"I don't know. He's planning everything. But I'll update you soon."

"You better reach out to me sometime in the next couple of days before I'm off to Exegol."

"Will do. I want to hear everything going on with you and I hate that I don't have much time right now."

"It's perfectly alright. Go be carefree for once. And I love you to the ends of the galaxy."

"And to the ends of the galaxy I love you right back."

******

******

Approaching the planet Naboo  
The Mid-Rim  
Early afternoon

After her conversation with Rose, Rey leaned back on the cool transparisteel wall outside the cockpit chamber. She always felt better after talking to her best friend, and this time was no different. Rose had an uncanny way of centering her as a person, and not allowing her to fall into the Jedi-hero-only trap so many forced her to always be. She needed that grounded sense of self more than most ever realized. 

Now bubbling with electric excitement at what the day ahead offered, she shut her eyes and allowed the living Force to calm her thoughts. Taking a couple of meditative breaths, she inhaled and exhaled slowly, feeling through the Force that while the Dark Side was ever present in the universe, the Light was once more in balance. It was radiating warmth and immense strength. Rey felt fully aligned with the Light and ready for the great tasks ahead.

But those tasks were on hold for the next couple of days. Her heart was going to come first, as free as it had ever been. And while it was true she was mentally working through how to handle the first steps towards rebuilding the Jedi Order, she wasn't actively prepping towards that goal just yet. 

This trip with Ben was her reward for her part in ending the war, and she intended to enjoy it to the fullest. She had earned this brief time away from the true work of the galaxy. The Resistance's victory over the Final Order and her demented dead grandfather were complete. The facts surrounding her parents abandoning her, complicated and painful as they were, lived in the light of day now. They came with the long hard road toward recovery and building anew - but that wasn't why they were traveling to Naboo.

Rey knew that Ben's incredible return to the Light was tasked with a lifetime's worth of service to the New Republic. A more than fair sentence he gratefully  
accepted, humbled at even the chance for redemption. Her leadership in the new Jedi Order's return to actively keeping the peace was literally years away. Infantile in preparation thus far. And during all of that would be their assistance with protecting the New Republic's slow formation - securing it, and removing the last vestiges of the First Order forever.

But not today. 

Nor tomorrow. 

Or the next few days after that as Rey smiled to herself. Selfishly, she desired alone time with Ben. No one else. No responsibilities. No expectations. No questions. They needed time to truly get to know each other and strengthen their new relationship. With as much personal emotional growth left to do to figure out who Rey was, and who Ben would become, they needed to figure out who they would be together. Those answers would only come with spending time together.

A great deal of healing needed to take place for a multitude of reasons. The many complex issues they faced both individually and collectively weren't absolved simply because they were so happy to be together. They needed each other, desperately. For love. For closeness. For every single facet of their uniqueness that seemed a perfect complement for the other person. For fun. For passion that was scorching beyond what Rey ever imagined was possible to feel for another person. 

Feeling a sweet little sense of joy come over her as she considered that their trip to Naboo was all Ben's idea, centered around him wanting to bring her to a paradise and connect her to his past - it meant so much to her. Meant everything, really. His actions have made her feel so special and desired. Loved, new as that feeling  
was. Inexperienced as both of them were in it. But loved nonetheless.

Gently sensing through the Force, Ben's aura was deafening in its raw power. Probing deeper revealed that he was all at once elated, determined, reflective, and filled with a great deal of dread. But his heart was hers alone. With every breath that he took, she was considered. And he was missing her. Even post-explosive love-making a short time ago, he craved her presence.

Rey chose to deny him no longer.

Pressing the red entrance button on the side panel, the cockpit chamber door slid open with a quiet hum. She walked inside, quickly claiming her co-pilot's chair next to Ben, who was apparently crafting quite a tall-tale with Royal Naboo Security Forces. She tried to keep up with what he was saying, but her gaze quickly filled with a vision of wonder. 

Having visited a number of immensely impressive worlds since joining the Resistance, especially in the last standard year as they scoured the stars for allies and resources, none compared to what was before her at this very moment. 

The vast green lushness of Naboo was beyond captivating, even from space. Her vision filled with seemingly endless oceans and a gorgeous emerald surface that conveyed the planet was an astounding portrait of paradise the likes of which she'd never seen before. She was completely enthralled by the majesty of this world at first sight.

Rey recalled with a heavy heart of listening intently to Leia talking so beautifully about the homeworld of her birth-mother. She regaled them about Naboo's warm climate that was ever comfortable. Blessed with plentiful rainfall and vastly untouched in massive expanses across its continents. The General loved talking about how rich Naboo was in various cultures, exotic foods, and history. 

The majesty of such a planet when compared to the ugly, dry, viciously hot hellscape of Jakku was striking to say the least. 

It charmed Rey's heart to think that this was a place where even Ben had a few fond memories, and she had every intention of adding to that number. And though she had no idea what they were going to actually do once they landed, she just didn't care.

She was going to be with Ben. That was all that she needed. That was everything. 

"As I have explained in detail, this is a Cyrian Industries Luxury Transport arriving early to pick up a very reclusive V.I.P client... No, I won't have the client's name until two hours before I'm set to depart... It's just me and my co-pilot onboard... Our transmission array is corrupted from a power surge and needs to be reinstalled and configured... It's not my fault your records aren't up to date, but I as I said, I can't transfer our landing credentials at this time. Please allow us to land and speak to your security personnel and we will sort this all out," Ben tried his damnest to tap down his immense frustration. Patience was a skill he was only beginning to work on. Then he noticed there were a squadron of Naboo Royal Space Starfighters flanking both sides of their ship now. And their weapons were primed, shields up. 

'You are illegally entering the sovereign airspace of Naboo. You 'will' allow us to remote into your auto-flight command controls and guide you to a secure docking station. Be prepared to be boarded by armed guards and have your landing credentials present or be arrested onsite,' came an automated droid voice. 'This will be your final and only warning.'

Not one known for taking orders from others, Ben kept his cool on the task at hand. "We agree to those terms. Send your remote request to 104.234.789.xx1 via port 1446." Ben waited until a pop-up window on one of the three control monitors emerged to acknowledge the request for control. "Granted."

'Flight controls assumed. Confirmed. Thank you. Welcome to Naboo. Bright suns.'

As their starship altered course and began a descending approach at a brisk rate of speed, Ben's gaze found Rey taking in the grandeur of Naboo. Pride swelled within his chest at being right that this would please her. "Starship security officials are often not droids. We can Force-manipulate our way through this once we land at Theed Space-port."

Rey peered outward as dozens of ion-engine freighters, brightly colored cruiser-buses, transport shuttles of all types, multi-compartment convoys, and various other starships arrived and departed Naboo in waves of heavy interstellar traffic. "That space-port is going to be jam packed."

"I've listened to some of the chatter over the Comm's," Ben began as he kept an eye on the starfighters escorting them. "There are massive post-war celebrations planned for the next week throughout the capitol city of Theed. Naboo always had a significant tourist market through many of its provinces, and that's likely to grow now that the war is finally over. It's going to be one big party down there."

"There's allot to be thankful for."

"Yeah..."

Rey sensed how deeply Ben was not looking forward to the heavy crowds awaiting them in the capitol city. "I'll hold your hand if you want," she gently teased as he narrowed a glare at her. One that held far more adoration than malice. "I always wanted to take your hand."

Ben sighed at her playfulness, his voice quietly emotional all of a sudden. "You have my heart."

Rey was suddenly beaming with an infectious energy at his sincerity. "Look, I know the crowds won't be easy for you. I'm not exactly used to being around a lot of people either."

"I don't know how to be normal," Ben revealed as if he despised the weakness of the claim. He leaned forward and rested his hands on his knees, his fingers  
tensing. "I don't understand people. Not sure I ever have, if that makes sense." He paused as the years of crippling darkness he endured robbed him of feeling as though he belonged anywhere. The Dark Side welcomed its worshippers with open arms, but ensured you felt as if you were nothing without it. "I detest anxiety."

Swiveling her chair to face him, Rey edged closer to her love, invading his personal space because she belonged there. "No one expects you to be fine after everything you've been through. There is no time-table for getting over your past. No expectations. You're barely a day removed from the Dark Side of the Force after over a decade serving it," she noted softly, reaching him as only she could. "We will take our time and if it becomes too much we'll come back here. There's no pressure."

At once his hands balled into a fists of frustration. A subtle tick of his jaw echoed the anguish he felt inside. "I don't want to be the reason you don't enjoy yourself. I want you to experience this... You deserve everything, and I want to give it to you." And then he resolved in a stern tone, "'I' will make sure that happens."

"Hey," Rey called out gently, and then took both of his hands in her own, settling between them. Never will that gesture lack deep meaning between them. Nor will the butterflies she feels that he wanted responsibility for her happiness. "I just want to be with you, Ben. That's it. It doesn't matter what we do or where we go. We will take our time. But you need to understand that this is 'our' time."

"I wish I weren't so broken, Rey." Ben squeezed her small hands, gazing at them as their starship broke the planet's atmosphere with a gentle rumble. "Being around people again - families and children... I've been a monster for a very long time," he implored her to understand the self-hatred he now wars with. "How does a monster walk among them? One that does not deserve any of the joy they are all feeling right now?"

Rey released his hands and raised her own to his handsome face, rising to his defense. "Because Ben Solo is not a monster. Kylo Ren was and he is dead. You can't erase your past today. That you feel regret and shame shows you care, and those aren't traits of a monster. I think that true healing from all the violence, manipulations, and loss you experienced will take a very long time. But hiding from your life ensures Palpatine wins from the grave. He would want you to feel ashamed and hate yourself for the rest of your life. He wouldn't want you to care about redemption or believe that you could become a better man. But every single day 'we' fight and push ourselves into uncomfortable places and move on, we defeat him. We bury his memory. And that is what 'we' will do."

Ben stared into her lovely hazel eyes and was lost to her all over again. Rey was right, as always. He was either dead or alive. There was no middle ground for moving on. He was going to have to face life... his past and everything that came with it because it was the right thing to do. It was the first steps in moving past it. And because she deserved him at his very best. 

"Rey," Ben breathed wearing a tiny twitch of a smile as he gently tugged her hands, drawing her closer, pulling her into his lap. She settled over his thighs and fit so perfectly against him. The moment his eyes lifted to find hers, she dove in for a kiss, brushing her soft lips back and forth over his own. Kissing was so new to them both, yet they had found a rhythm that he reveled in how good it felt. The sweet weight of her over his lap hardened his cock in a heartbeat as his arms curled around her slender waist, needing her closer. And when she made the sexiest little moan he devoured her mouth with such passion.

His dark hair was so luxuriously soft and felt spectacular falling through her fingers as she kissed him. As she rejoiced in the roaring hot desire he craved  
for her, now pulsing hotly against her backside. She gave a little grind over his lap, now suckling the end of his tongue as he squeezed her tighter in  
his embrace. 

The Force electrified between them.

Through their Dyad connection she witnessed a delicious scene of him fucking her hard against the wall behind them. Filling her with deep driving thrusts that stole the air from her lungs and forced her to cum all over his cock. He was holding her back to the wall so tightly, rocking her higher and higher as the erotic sounds of their bodies impacting... the raw scent of their lust in the air... the slick noise of his hard cock pounding into her was deliciously carnal. At the height of her ecstasy she would beg in his ear, "Cum deep inside me. Take me. I'm yours."

Rey whimpered in his mouth as her core quivered over his lap. His groan rumbled in her mouth as they kissed desperately.

Ben made no attempt to eradicate the images from his mind. No, he invited her in, so that she might know his desire for her was overwhelming. That she was all that he wanted. Had ever wanted. Her enthusiasm was infectious. She tasted so sweet on the tip of his tongue, like edible sunshine, and felt so small against him. Male pride soared in his chest, a feeling of raw power coursed through him as he kissed her deeply. Mercy, did she own him and he knew it. He knew she knew it. 

And he wouldn't have it any other way.

Suddenly the starship jostled as the landing gear touched down. Their kiss broke as their eyes opened at the same time to a gorgeous clear night skies of Naboo and a robust spaceport filled their line of vision. But that wasn't the only thing that caught their attention as their ship was now surrounded by two dozen heavily-armed Naboo Space-port security personnel all standing outside their ship, blasters raised at the ready.

Thankfully, they were all human.

Rey politely shifted off of Ben's lap, stifling a giggle at his impressively aroused state. "I'll take care of that for you later," she snickered. "I promise."

Ben rolled his eyes, fighting off a grin as he opened the starship boarding hatch. "I plan on holding you to that promise."

Rey winked at him, wearing a salacious grin.

****** 

******

Capitol City of Theed  
Shiloh Market Place  
Naboo  
Located in the Mid-Rim  
Evening

With twilight upon them, Ben felt Rey's positively radiant Force-aura as they toured the boisterous, densely-packed Shiloh Market Place.

Walking by her side as the uplifting sounds of various musical instruments serenaded the lively street celebrations circling all around them, Ben's focus remained on Rey as they traversed the expansive, winding marketplace. He was quiet and calm among the people, partially enjoying the festivities through her while pushing back against his own anxiety. Clad in basic black trousers and a button-down long sleeved black shirt, he felt as at ease as was possible, yet still was Force-broadcasting a slight cloud of disorientation around them. 

While it was highly unlikely anyone would ever recognize him as he rarely let anyone see his face and never made a Holonet proclamation without his mask, the Last Jedi's lovely face was widely known. Ben wanted Rey to simply be Rey tonight, minus the Jedi portion of her now famous persona. She was going to enjoy herself and he was going to see to it minus any interruption. 

With the glorious Royal House of Naboo's palace in the far distance watching over the city, Ben side-stepped a couple of children brandishing some sort of sparkling sticks while literally dancing in the streets as the music played. Young and old alike, there was a sense of jubilation he felt in the crowd through the Force. But he was thoroughly enthralled by his Scavenger's brilliant smile as she took it all in, tasting the waters of such celebrations for the very first time. Her excitement settled his own anxiousness as they wandered minus a destination. 

His soul was tempered by the knowledge that he brought her here. That he knew the effect this world would have on her.

That he was making her happy.

Pride soared in Ben's chest every single time she looked at him wearing such a pleased expression. The sound of her carefree laugher as a couple of twirling little girls surrounded her and began dancing with her healed some long-thought dead part of him. She wasn't a great dancer, clearly unpracticed, but she was filled with joy and was magnificent to witness. The exuberant children scampered off with blown air-kisses as Rey watched after them until they reached what looked to be their parents, and then she waved goodbye.

With a dark travel satchel slung over his shoulder, packed with their lightsabers, a couple of bottles of water, and some basic toiletries, they engaged in the lively atmosphere of a Post-war Naboo population. Endless laughter and cheers sounded around them as wild chants of "Resistance forever!" and "No more war!" filled the  
air. 

It was a joyful noise. And if Ben couldn't yet feel it himself, he could revel in their happiness for a time. He would allow himself that.

And then all eyes raised as streaking fireworks absolutely illuminated the night sky with wild bursts of color splintering in all directions. Rey shrieked as she had never seen such a thing before, her expression bright with glee. She pointed out so many interesting things, asking him questions about Naboo that he had to try and recall from so long ago. A lifetime ago.

Longer than that even.

Shiloh Market Place was littered with a tapestry of vibrant characters of various races manning blocks and blocks of elaborately decorated vendor stands. All were beckoning their attention, attempting to charm them while selling rare Naboo antiques and jewelry, clothes that ranged from casual to glamorous to way over the top, and all forms of superb quality wares. There were a treasure trove of interesting finds all around them, and Rey sought each and every one. So far she hadn't bought anything, never-mind the wrist band she wore was connected to a twenty-five million credit account. She was content just soaking up the culture and vibe of a joyful people reveling in the end of the war.

A war Ben knew he contributed too greatly. And yet he didn't tap his sense of guilt away. He didn't force things. Simply tucked it alongside the small bursts of good he's done in the last standard day. Against all odds, he was determined to not allow Palpatine to rule over his life from the grave. He had no master and would never suffer another. He was moving forward with Rey. Moving on. 

"Try this now!”

Broken free of his internal dialogue, Ben barely had time to look up before the already bitten into food was unceremoniously shoved in his mouth. Spicy beef seated within a crunchy wrap of some kind, layered in cheese, veggies, and a spicy rich sauce quickly assaulted his taste buds. He hadn't realized until this very moment just how hungry he was. "What was that?" he asked while wiping the side of his mouth with a napkin Rey handed to him.

"I think it's called a taco. This Gungan just strolled by pushing a cart and as soon as I smelled it I bought one. And it's divine!" Finishing what she offered to Ben in one heart swallow, Rey chewed enthusiastically and then felt sheepish when she found Ben smirking at her. "Sorry. I sometimes lack public eating etiquette. Scavenger, remember?"

Drawing her into his arms that very second, Ben bent to her ear and whispered, "You are perfect."

"Even with taco sauce on the side of my mouth?" she beamed up at him. Her gaze suddenly followed his hand as he brushed the pad of his thumb over her lower lip, capturing a spot of sauce, and then brought it to his mouth as if never wanting to miss a taste of her. A heart-stopping sensation seared into her at his touch. Such a gentle gesture, and yet felt like everything to the woman who had never felt such intimate caring from anyone before. "Kiss me."

So he does that very moment, capturing her pretty mouth with a hungry groan - lasted barely three seconds, but was sweet beyond words. Rey loves the faint hint of a blush on Ben's face as he quietly ducks away from her and tucks such public affection away. She takes no offense as his heart is on full display to her. For her. And so she takes his hand in hers and twines their fingers as if it's the most natural thing for them to do. They don't talk for a while, just enjoying the joyous feeling around them, and it was just beautiful.

Shiloh Market Place stretched over a mile long and spilled over into the surrounding backstreets. Soaked in endless stalls and traders in books, cultural etchings, holo-gifts, and even pets, ensured there was no end in sight. With the celebrations likely going on well into the night, it was a buzzing hive of activity to soak up the vibrant atmosphere and noise of a joyful populace.

They decided against the long walk to the Palace Courtyard, deciding it would be a first thing in the morning spot to hit as Ben told her how impressed he was as a child. He leaned into her as they walked, detailing the amazing architecture there as she hung on his every word. 

After a Refresher visit, Rey hailed a four-armed droid shuttle that took them to Solleu River, where Ben revealed he learned how to swim. A spectacular sparkling body of water that ran along the edge of a wide grassy plateau that fed into a waterfall. Ben recalled how Han taught him in a typically Han-like way by literally throwing him into the pool at age seven and then diving in with him. And how he was accused of cheating as he used the Force even then to push himself to the surface and walk on water back to the shoreline.

"Han was furious with me, and a bit in awe of my abilities. He loved me, but didn't quite know what to do with me. And all I wanted him to do was tell me stories of his adventures all day long. And he did. It was... I remember that day very well."

Rey watched as Ben spoke fondly about spending time with his Father, just the two of them, and how he absolutely hated himself for wasting so many years and what he had done. He knelt in the sand while she held his trembling hand. He revealed with no small amount of emotion how terribly he missed his Father. Imperfect as he was, Ben's perspective was different now - tempered by age and regret and understanding that there were no perfect people. Only actions and consequences.

Mistakes were made by all. 

But his Father had forgiven him in the end, Ben noted with no small amount of emotion. In his darkest hour Han was there to show him the way. Ben told Rey it meant everything to him. He only hoped that someday Leia would visit him so that he could see his Mother one last time.

"What else can you tell me about Naboo?" Rey asked as they sat by the moon-lit shoreline, sans shoes, their bare feet settled in the warm water and sand. Waves nipped at their toes.

Ben considered a number of things, but settled on something he knew would matter to her. "This is Palpatine's homeworld."

"What?" Rey was stunned, her expression frozen at the revelation. How could someone so evil and vile have originated from a paradise like this? "You're certain?" Ben nodded as she sat beside him. "How did 'this' world spawn a monster?"

"Though I don't know all the details, a Dark Side Master seduced him at some point in his young adulthood, and he embraced it. The allure of unrestrained power and influence minus accountability is incredibly attractive to the overly ambitious. And no one had more ambition than Palpatine."

Rey bit the words as they escaped her mouth. "Did he have family?"

"Yes. And he killed them. All of them, according to Snoke, as his final Sith lesson." Rey was silent for a time, her thoughts submerged in the beautiful river  
before them. In the faint sounds of music in the distance. The hint of salt in the air. "Quite a bloodline we have."

"... am I terrible for not wanting to know anything about my Grandmother?"

"No. While I don't possess knowledge of exactly who she was, I suspect no good would come of it. Nothing worthwhile."

"I wonder how my Father grew into adulthood while surrounded by Palpatine's evil influence."

"That he lacked the Force was likely a great disappointment to someone as powerful with the Dark Side as Palpatine was. That resentment he felt most of his life might have turned him away from his Father," Ben considered. "We will never know for certain. But what we do know is he and your mother saved your life. They sacrificed their lives for you. They died with honor."

Rey smiled as her gaze fell to their joined hands She didn’t recall who reached for who. Nor did it matter. "That gives me closure. And a sense of peace."

"I hope to feel that someday myself." Ben swallowed hard as he lost himself in rivers reflection. "I killed my own Father, Rey. I abandoned my Mother and everything she ever taught me. Everything they stood for, I desecrated. She died with a broken heart over all that I had done."

"You're wrong, Ben. I heard her when we fought, same as you. She died fighting for you, her son, because she loved you with all that she was. You can't undo what was done, but going forward you can honor her with what you do with this second chance at life. And someday, Force-willing, she will visit and likely smack you upside the head." 

And there was that rare yet spectacular Ben Solo smile Rey swore she would never take for granted. She closed her eyes and nestled warmly against his side. "I should have bought more tacos."

Pressing a kiss to her hair, Ben couldn't stifle a little laugh. "My Scavenger is hungry, isn't she?"

"Yes." That instant he was rising to his feet, taking her with him, and then hailed another droid-driver shuttle. "Better be careful, Ben. A girl could get used to you giving her everything she asks for."

"Not any girl, Rey. Just you."

****** 

Ben Solo was as much of an enigma to Rey as he was now the most familiar part of her heart. 

Watching him with rapt interest revealed a treasure trove of unique aspects within the man she loved. He was an immensely handsome man, from the crown of all that sexy dark hair all the way that down hard body she so loved. His haunted brown eyes were filled with such intensity whenever he focused on her she felt it between  
her thighs. His inner pain felt a perfect match for her own, with each attracted to what was different about the other. 

He was as meticulous with his eating habits as he was with his choice of words. Each bite chosen carefully as his verbiage. Not a single act wasted. Everything measured in its proper order. He was a picture of predictability and nobility. Clearly possessed of royal manners. The kind of etiquette she couldn't wrap her mind around.

And yet his thoughts, each and every one, centered on her. Rey hoped she was as amazing as he thought she was, or that she could continue fooling him for the rest of their lives.

"So you want to spend the rest of your life with me?" Ben's eyes held hers captive as his mouth twitched back a sly grin.

Her gaze narrowed at him as she drank from her glass. "You were listening to my thoughts?"

"I always do. Would you prefer I not?"

The jury was still out on that as Rey quietly reveled in feeling so connected to someone. Of course in due time she'll want a measure of her privacy back, but for now she didn't mind as the traffic was a two-way street. "Do you mind if I listen in on you?"

"No."

He spoke without hesitation. Did he ever hesitate? "So you have nothing to hide?" Rey gently teased him by candlelight as they ate. 

"There are things I would like to hide about my past, but nothing I would ever put any effort in to conceal from you."

"I would never probe," she replied with a fork of steamy seafood pasta aimed his way. "I only want what you want to share with me."

"And you?" Ben turned the focus on her. "Is there anything you wish to hide?"

There's a sliver of teasing seduction in her tone. "... I wanted you to kiss me in the elevator when you were taking me to Snoke."

"Did you now."

"You're were staring at him in a way no one had ever stared at me before. With such intensity." 

That visceral moment seemed like a lifetime ago. Even longer than that. Ben recalled staring down into her pleading eyes, and then at the sweet curve of her mouth. It was the fiercest attraction he had felt in many, many years. He just couldn't understand what this little Scavenger-nobody was doing to him. The urge to taste her had been devastating. In that instant he had wanted her more than the throne. "I thought about it. But I didn't trust myself enough. Or you."

Rey felt a swirl of emotions spinning through his mind. She lifted her glass for a toast. "To what might of been?"

Ben clinked his glass to her own. "I wish that I had."

"Because you would have left with me."

Stated, not asked. Rey was certain of her claim. Ben gave a nod in defeat. "Because I would have left with you," he agreed.

"Part of me wanted to stay," Rey revealed in a soft tone. "I was greatly tempted. Curious and... but I just couldn't do it in the end. Too many people were counting on me. It was my first brush with responsibility. And I didn't understand how I could feel such a visceral connection to you so soon. It was terrifying."

"Yes, it was."

The Logan-Saire was a family-owned establishment, with faces baring close resemblances among those took their orders, prepared them fresh on small hover-grills, and served them with gracious smiles while appreciative of them wanting a bit of privacy. They were seated in a shadowed alcove - a hidden gem tucked away in the back of a gorgeous outdoor seafood restaurant near the commercial district of Theed. Built with an old-world Naboo decor, complete with Terra dry-stone walls and a polished permacrete terrace that blended seamlessly with the natural environment. Simple wooden dining tables illuminated by beautiful red-blush candles and a fabric canopy that swayed gently in the breeze. Their seafood platter was generous and beyond delicious. After a night of navigating the sprawling marketplaces not far from the space-port, they were famished.

The night skies were clear as they dined, the weather so crazy comfortable Rey couldn't imagine anyone ever wanting to leave this world. Or how anything unkind and fowl could have left its loving embrace. Naboo was the galactic opposite of Jakku in every way - where her memories were filled with loneliness and endless need. For food. Shelter. Safety. Friends. Family. To not have to scavenge and beg every single day of her life for scraps just to get by.

"You will never beg again Rey. I have seen to that. You will want for nothing as long as I draw breath."

Rey stared at him intensely, but tempered the edge her voice was about to force out. "I will want for nothing because of what I will do, Ben. I have always and will always take care of myself."

Blinking, Ben realized quickly, though did not fully understand his error. “I did not... Of course, I understand what you mean. I suppose I didn't express myself..." he stopped and took another drink of wine. "I'm not very good at this."

Even his awkwardness warmed her heart. "Relax. I know what you meant. Trust me, I know and I love you for it. But 'we' are in this together. I do not expect or need you to take care of me. We will take care of each other."

"But I want to give you everything you never had," escaped him before he could rein the words in.

Her heart appreciated him more than words could ever convey. She simply reached out across the table for his hand. He immediately placed his in hers. "You already have."

They finished their meal in relaxed silence after that. They settled their bill while leaving a generous tip for the incredibly appreciative waitress, and then hand-in-hand made their way down the stone-lined road towards the Royal House of Learning.

Nearing the towering university set in the heart of Theed, Ben pointed out his youth academy of only two seasons, just before he was gifted to Luke for proper Jedi training. The centuries old institution catered to the elite, and he was no exception given his galactically renowned family connections. He talked to Rey about how hard he had tried to be fit in during his time here. His attempts to make friends and how his growing power in the Force made it impossible to relate to regular people. Adding in his social awkwardness, quiet demeanor, and quick temper didn't help either. 

"Imagine me being the new student and everyone knew my mother served a senior leadership role in The New Republic Senate after being one of the pillars of the Rebellion. My father was a scandalous smuggler for the Hutt clans, a former Rebellion war general and owner of the most legendary starship that's ever existed. My Godfather blew up the second Death Star, and my uncle blew up the first. He defeated Darth Vader, the Emperor, and was the hero Jedi Master tasked with restoring the Jedi Order," Ben recounted as he peered skyward, lost in his thoughts. 

"That's quite a legacy," Rey said as they walked together.

"Unfair, unrealistic expectations were laid at the feet of a solitary thirteen year-old before I ever said a word. Before I could control my ability to tune out the thoughts of people around me I heard the other students resentment of the perceived special treatment I received, which wasn't entirely untrue. And when I couldn't talk my way to friendship I tried to impress by using the Force, which only scared them. They were jealous of me and I didn't know how to process it. I didn't think I had anyone that I could talk too. I felt like my issues didn't meet the threshold for assistance. So I began to shun people, my family in particular. I closed myself off while listening more to the voices inside my head... I was just so lost back then."

Rey's heart broke for his pain. She knew all too well how it felt like you were facing everything life threw at you all by yourself. "You're not lost anymore."

"It is because you found me. The real me, buried beneath the Dark Side."

"Hey, Scavenger, remember," she smiled at him. "I'm pretty good at finding things." 

Ben twined their fingers as they walked through a small crowd of dancing young people. still celebrating the end of the war in the dead of night. "I do believe Luke was ashamed of what he almost did," Ben admitted. "His bitterness over his own actions and what I did led us both down a very dark path. Neither of us could stop our fall. And that's not an easy thing to acknowledge."

"I wish those we look up to didn't make mistakes, but we all do. That's the lesson in life, I think. There are no perfect people. There are just people who make mistakes and have to live with the consequences and move on. Luke did some pretty incredible and terrible things in his life. And I think he did the best he could being all by himself while trying to rebuild the Jedi Order beneath a great deal of pressure. That doesn't excuse his actions, but I do think he loved you and your parents. Chewy and Lando too."

Ben can't quite agree with her out loud yet, but he felt the same way. Letting go of the past meant you actually had to let go of the past. "At every turn I made bad choices in my life, Rey. No matter Luke or Palpatine's manipulations, I have to own my actions. I think it's the only way I will forgive myself someday."

"Just like I forgive you for sleeping with that disease-infested Wompa-rat once upon a time." Rey wondered if Ben's laughter would ever not make her fall in love with him all over again. Her hand squeezed warmly in his as they made their way down the winding street as the university vanished behind them. Out the corner of her eye she saw Ben yawn into his free hand. "I think it's time we found a bed and called it a night."

"Are you trying to seduce me, Madam Jedi?" Ben teased slyly. 

"No, I'm trying to fuck you."

Her sudden boldness made his cock throb to full hardness that very second. She was pure fire in his veins, coursing out of control through his bloodstream. "Maybe I just want to take a nap." Rey, evil as any Sith, fired a damning vision in his mind’s eye of him pounding her into a bed while she was crying out his name and clawing at his back. He swallowed hard, but held the line. "I haven't read in a while either. Have I missed any good Holo-novels lately?" 

Rey glared at him with a playful flair while sending new erotic images of her suckling just the head of his cock over and over and over until he was erupting warm seed all over her tongue while moaning her name. The barely perceptible tick of his jaw made her smirk. He was nearly broken.

"Maybe a long hot bath..."

Rey had enough at that point. Though they were new as a couple, she'd already taken a tour of his mind and heart. Already had inklings of what he desired. What pushed his buttons. And knew what trigger would push him over the edge. And while she was still coming to grips with his apparent 'word' kink, she wasn't above using it to win.

Coming to a full stop out front of a small quint inn at the end of the torch-lit street, Rey tugged his hand closer, and then curled an arm around his neck to draw him down to her, and whispered in his ear, "'Rey Solo' wants you to fuck her to sleep." 

The devastating words darkened his pupils with an intoxicating cocktail of desire. Intensity rolled off him in waves that instant. And then he was dragging her to the inn's entrance that very second. 

Rey barely had time to giggle.

*****

Ben and Rey never made it to the bed. 

They never even turned on an Omni-light, preferring the darkness for what was to come. Whatever the suite's interior offered or its features were inconsequential. Not a single word was spoken when the door hissed shut behind them, erasing the outside world as they were all over each other in the span of a heartbeat. Their clothes unceremoniously fell to the Cesian hard-wood floor as the only other sounds heard above their wildly passionate kissing.

There was nothing save hunger in this room. Relentless, desperate hunger that raged to be fed until sated.

For a man his size, once divested of his clothing, Ben was not-so-gently Force-shoved into the plush black reclining chair in the corner of the room. Rey's facial expression was positively predatory as she stalked over to him, reveling in her prowess. Her power. Ben snarled when she invaded his personal space, shoved his legs apart with her knee, and then descended to her own in the space she created. She didn't hesitate to claim his fully hard cock in her fist, gently squeezing the considerable length as she bent over him and lashed the weeping tip with a long lick that tore the very breath from his throat. She began lazily bathing the head of his throbbing cock with feathery lashes of her tongue that shook a deep groan of bliss from the pit of his chest. 

And though one might consider the pose Rey was in as submissive, Ben was the one who was surrendering to her will. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Couldn't fathom his luck at having her in his life. "Rey, fuck..."

"Shhh, before I lose my nerve." Rey playfully quieted him, gazing up at him from between his legs at the hard planes of his chest. He was just so lean and cut. The expression she wore was sinfully feral.

His breath hitched as he watched Rey perch her lovely mouth over the swollen head of his cock, and then press a soft kiss there. She started a slow sucking, letting him feel every slight change in the pressure of her tongue. She was sensually toying with him when he physically shook in response. His fingers tightened on the armrests in a death-grip as the single focal point of his universe was the lush feel of her lips. Guaing her every maneuver by his response, Rey sprinkled a litany of little kisses before blessing soft warm suckles over the tip that sent his heart racing. And then she slowly slid her lips down just enough to take him inside her mouth. 

Though inexperienced, Rey was eager and beyond hot for him to lose his mind as she took her time learning what he liked. Learning the rhythm and how to keep her teeth in check. Doing this wasn't exactly starship science and she had always been a quick study. 

Rey swore through their Force-bond that when she was done with him, he would be broken.

"Sweetheart... so good... all mine... you're all mine," Ben groaned huskily behind closed eyes. Overwhelmed by her skill, his back arched as her soft sucking sounds eroded his resolve. He swallowed hard at the seductive rise and fall of Rey's head over his lap drove him closer to madness with every audible draw of her warm mouth around him.

"Mmmmm," Rey hummed around his pulsing cock as the muscles in his thighs tensed. There was just so much of him and he was so hard for her. It was such a turn on. With a growing confidence, she trickled warm saliva from the tip of her tongue down his length, and then licked from the base to the tip with a lazy roll of her tongue before capturing him in the humid confines of her mouth. She began sucking deeper now, hallowing her cheeks, testing her limits with how much of him she could  
handle. Just a hair past half was her comfort zone, so she focused on that while wrapping her fingers around the rest. The filthy sucking melody serenaded them with sinful music as her head rose and fell over his lap. She loved the heated trembles coursing through him as she lifted her mouth to the tip, dancing her tongue around the opening until her name fled his lips in devoted worship, and then suckled her lips around him with such a delirious rhythm she felt it send tingles of delicious pleasure up and down his spine.

Her lips enclosed around his cock as he stared down at her, only to find her sensual gaze staring right back at him. Her eyes were drenched with lust as her cheeks hollowed, increasing the pressure while lashing her tongue over the tip. Something about the taste of him left her feeling incredibly possessive. His heavy breathing was music to her ears as he struggled to hold on. 

Suddenly a vision flashed in her minds eyes from him, as if asking permission. Rey never stopped sucking as she thought, 'Do it.'

With permission granted, Ben gently tangled his fingers in her hair, freeing the three buns while reveling in the submission - yet it was not hers, but his as she owned his pleasure with every deep bob of her head, inhaling his cock. His hand gently gripped the back of her head as she fed his cock to herself. He felt her need. Her passion. Her intent. How she loved doing this to him. He was so close and she was sucking loudly. Shamelessly. "Rey," he chanted behind clenched teeth in a warning tone. "Rey, baby... I'm..."

Though appreciative of the warning, she ignored his unnecessary politeness and sought to end him. "Cum for me," she whimpered around his pulsing shaft.

A roaring grunt of release escaped Ben as he tensed powerfully. She took him deeper, sucking harder, chasing her victory as he fisted her hair. His mind was a jumbled mess as he violently erupted in her mouth, crying out her name with warm bursts of liquid heat that were greedily swallowed. Rey milked him in her fist with firm strokes, catching every spurt while sucking until he had no more left to give... and she kept on sucking until he had to playfully push her away with a shaky hand.

Panting softly, although she was thoroughly pleased with her final result, Rey didn't mind the not-so-great flavor of his seed as the possessive passion of taking him down was utterly thrilling to her. Mesmerizing. Sexy. The man she loved was in such a broken state of utterly delicious bliss she could feel through  
their Force-bond. He was deliriously pleased and sated. 

Rey owned that. She took great pride in it. Wiping her sticky mouth with the back of her hand, she settled back, and then sat up as her knees were killing her on that hardwood floor. Meanwhile, Ben slumped fully in the recliner, head lying back, eyes shut, his sweat-glistened chest heaving for the breath she'd stolen from him. Her lips curled into a wicked smirk. She couldn't resist needling him. "And to think, if you had just left with me you could have been enjoying that for the last year."

A lifetime ago came back to him in a flash. Ben chuckled lightly while grinning. "Forgive me, my love. My foolish ways are well documented."

'My love.' Rey was lost in what he meant to her heart. Such an endearment was as foreign for her to hear as it likely was for him to say. That he had was a sign of healing. It carried weight. 

Rising to her feet, Rey eased over him, straddling his lap low, and then leaned down and kissed him thoroughly. Deeply. Thrusting her tongue in his mouth to tangle around his because he belonged to her and she would have him when she desired. Never had Rey felt so at peace as she did when his strong arms surrounded her. His hands roamed her back, tracing the arch of her spine before falling to the sweet curve of her rear. His hands filled with the supple cheeks, gripping them possessively as she settled over his lap. "So the next time we kill a Sith Lord and I tell you we need to leave, you're going to listen, right?"

Strand of her honey-brown hair framed her pretty face, appearing quite a bit longer now free of the buns. Her heart-stopping beauty captivated him once more. She had no clue that top him she had no equal. He even adored her freckles. Ben knew that he could stare at her forever. He intended too. "Whatever you desire, I will do."

The Force crackled with raw energy around them, seemingly celebrating their union as the Dyad was whole and fulfilled.

Rey was ever thankful for the oversized recliner, which was considerably spacious for someone Ben's size. Thankfully, she was able to settle her knees on either side of his thighs comfortably. Bending over him, she rested her head against his while affectionately nuzzling the side of his face. Her voice emerged breathless and filled with a small sense of awe. "How can I be so happy?"

His arms curled protectively around her, drawing her slender frame to his chest, grounding her in his love. She at least deserved to feel that way a thousand times a thousand times over. But he did not. Yet, he felt the exact same way. His voice fell intimately quiet, as if unsure he could even convey the sentiment. "Somehow we found each other, Rey. I never imagined I could feel this way. I do feel it was destiny. That you are my destiny."

Smiling brightly against his temple, Rey felt the not-so-subtle twitch of his cock renewed to full hardness over her belly. "Well hello there." He snickered before his mouth latched to the column of her throat, licking over her pulse while his hands gripped her hips. 'Need you' was growled through their bond as she braced her knees firmly, and then shifted so that the head of his cock brushed her slick folds, eliciting a delicious whimper from her throat. "I am your destiny. And you are mine."

And then Rey slowly slid down around him, inhaling deeply as she relaxed her inner muscles and took him inch by glorious inch. Took so much of him as he filled her with the sweetest pleasure. The most delicious stretch. All of him with but a couple rolls of her hips until she had all of him. He was so hard and warm inside of her as she wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him. Ben was devouring the side of her throat, groaning over her sensitive skin as she began to lazily rock on his lap. His hands gripped her waist, tightening his hold on her as she quickly found a sensual gallop that left him panting over her pulse. Over the marked skin he'd branded her with.

They sighed in unison at being joined once more. The pure rightness of it was emotionally staggering to them. Devastating. That they could be so deeply connected. It was equal parts thrilling and terrifying as they made love with the knowledge that they just had to work out because there was no back-up plan for their hearts. 

Rey shivered behind clenched teeth before capturing his mouth with a sinfully lustful kiss, hungrily angling over his mouth, swaying passionately. His strong hands massaged her ass, cupping the gentle curves so tightly as she rose and fell over his lap, taking all of him. Riding his cock with a steady rhythm. The filthy-slick sounds of their mating left her blushing with shame, and yet she was squeezing around him while gliding up and down, relentlessly chasing her release.

"Love you, Rey," Ben swore as their kiss deepened. "Love you so much."

Her heart healed a little bit more each time he told her that. Swelled with each affirmation that she'd been right about him all along. Each time she felt how genuine the emotion was for him. How it was meant for her and never anyone else. They kissed as she settled all the way down on his lap, trapping him so deeply inside of her as she fluttered around him. Her hips began to grind as she felt him throbbing inside her, and thrilled at the sensation. And then she began riding him with aching need, rocking back faster.

Rey entangled her fingers through his soft thick hair as she rode him at a sinful gallop as their bodies glistened with mingling sweat - the viciously erotic slap of flesh as she rode the man she loved stained the air with their lust. She cried out when he took a nipple into his mouth and began sucking and lashing his tongue so good she somehow grew wetter. Tighter around him. The pleasure was exquisite. Salacious. She moaned loudly when he swirled his tongue around the hardened bud of her nipple as her hips gave a sensual grind over his lap. Suddenly the delicious flutters of a tremendous climax were on the horizon. She pursued it, relentless in her intent, riding him harder now, head thrown back, taking what she wanted.

"Glorious!" Ben grunted as he drew her down while impaling her on his cock until her head rested over his shoulder, allowing him to take her at his will. He settled her head softly against him as he fed her his cock with long, lifting thrusts that grinded over her clit. When her face angled toward him he kissed her, swallowing her gasps, sucking on her tongue while fucking up into her with deep thrusts that made her whimper with each audible impact.

Rey held on tight, meeting him thrust for thrust as her body caught fire. Her face contorted passionately as she rose and fell over his lap, hands braced on shoulders, nails digging into his skin. She was so close... couldn't even speak as irregular, fast, loud breathing filled the air around them. Her inner muscles were clenching and relaxing, coaxing and sucking.

"Ben... Oh Ben... I'm cumming!" Rey convulsed and shuddered on his lap, in his arms, seizing tightly around his slick cock. The liquid sounds were shameless as she came all over him, shivering in his arms, falling into every delicious throb of her climax until at last she rested over him, boneless and sated. 

Ben was still so damn hard inside of her. But his hands were gently soothing over her back, reveling in the steady beat of her heart against his chest. Unable to resist, he pressed soft kisses to her face and neck, overwhelmed by his love for her. How perfect she felt in his arms. 

Sated though she was, Ben wasn't done with her. Not yet. Not by a longshot.

"Ben?" she panted softly when he gathered her in his strong arms and stood to his feet. Her legs instinctively wrapped around him as he stalked toward the huge bed, climbed on, and then laid her down without ever pulling out of her.

"You're mine!" Ben growled.

The sound made her clit tingle as he braced above her, barely able to catch a breath before his hard cock drove what was left out of her with one long, smooth  
thrust. When he buried his face in the crook of her neck, kissing and suckling, she tangled her fingers in his silky hair while ensnaring her legs tightly  
around him. The heated pleasure of his hungry mouth sucking over her throat and his length spreading her deliciously left her in a state of sweet  
rumbling ecstasy. She gave herself to him, whimpering softly as withdrew nearly to the tip before forcing her to take it all in one hard thrust after another -the erotic collide of their bodies and the constant squeak of the bed was a filthy noise she found so erotic. 

"I can't... can't get enough of you," Rey hissed as she held onto him. Her legs pulled tight to his waist, ankles crossing his lower back as he fucked her hard into the bed, grunting with exertion above her. The pleasure was mind-blowing as his eyes were so dark with lust she alone created in him. He wore an intense expression of gentle awe as her inner muscles squeezed around him. Gazing at her as if he couldn't fathom anything ever feeling as good as being inside her did. Her heart ached with love for him. "Feels so good, Ben. Fuck, you feel so good."

Her eyes watered from the sensual bliss as Ben's thrusts became rougher. As their bodies smacked aggressively over the sheets. The growing, gnawing hunger to fuck her harder seized his mind until he worried it would be too much. But she fired a seductive 'I can't it. I want it. I am not fragile.' thought through their bond.

"Never let you go," Ben swore as they kissed with such raw emotion. The slick feel of sex closing around him so tightly sent flares of arousal throughout  
his body. Her breath hitched as their hips found a perfect rhythm, moving as one, frantic and so passionate. "I need you, Rey... mercy, I need you, I need you..."

Her eyes rolled in the back of her head as their hips rocked together. She loved how powerful he felt over her, pounding her into the bed as he kissed her, swearing his love. Her nails clawed at his back, nearly breaking skin as she sobbed into his shoulder. A violent wordless cry escaped her lips when his tongue lapped round and round her pebbled nipple before sucking the tip back in his mouth. Her cries grew louder as he nursed her nipple while pushing into her, crudely throttling the bed against the back wall with impacting thuds that were unmistakable. 

Ben's face twisted in a wild fit of rapture as his hands reached beneath her and filled with her firm ass, holding her down as he felt his end racing closer. They kissed around grunts and breathy shrieks of passion. He felt her on the teetering edge of orgasm as her nails dug into the skin of his bare back. Her shivers beneath him met his own. He was at the end of his resolve as his thrusts became erratic. She jerked hard beneath him, shuddering, gasping into  
his mouth. "Always, Rey. Always," he kissing over the mouth.

"Always, Ben," she repeated in a shaky whimper, almost sobbing each breath as her climax peaked with a deafening roar that shook her body inside out. The orgasm rippled through her in sensational waves, setting every nerve in her body on fire. With her fluttering tightly around him, Ben found his release just after. She held him in a full-body embrace when groaned her name over and over in the crook of her shoulder, his hips pushing deeply into her. His cock buried to the hilt as warm thick bursts erupted into her, coating her inner walls as he filled her until he had no more left to give. Boneless and shattered, he laid over her as they recovered.

The heady aroma of their lovemaking stained the air around them. Rey reveled in the strong beat of his heart against her own, and loved him all the more for it. They were a hot mess of sweaty skin and tangled limbs as she felt a little giggle suddenly bubble out of her. And then she playfully whispered in his ear, "Rey Solo is sleepy now." 

His audible groan, and then a teasing bite on her neck were immensely affectionate. She had felt his entire body react to what she said. And she was going to get to the bottom of it. "Ok, you need to move. You're heavy and sweating on me."

"Sorry," Ben smiled as he lifted his head and met her hazy-lovely gaze. She looked flushed and just so beautiful it ached to look at her. She was exquisite. Gently withdrawing with a small gasp, he rolled over next to her, his eyes cast to the ceiling now. His heart had never felt so full and she was the reason. He knew she would always be the reason. "And you should not weaponize that name to get your way."

"I will use any device at my disposal to get my way, thank you very much." Rey felt his chest expand proudly when she said 'that name', as it never failed to trigger a glorious response from him. Curious. Turning to her side, she pressed a lingering kiss against his temple as she ran her fingers lightly ran through his dark hair. "So why does that name drive you so crazy?" she just had to ask. His expression stilled, as if he had something to hide, but she felt his calm. Felt his adoration  
of her. He was guarded, but barely so. "Tell me?"

"I think it ties you to me in some emotionally fulfilling way," Ben attempted to explain something he didn't fully grasp himself. "I find it... enthralling."

"It gets you hot," Rey pointed a finger at him, reveling in his quiet discomfort at the topic. "Do not forgot I can feel your thoughts. I know what that name does to you. It's your kink. You have a name kink, which I didn't even know existed. Just own it."

"I do not have a name kink!" he quickly brushed off as preposterous.

"Do too!" Rey fired back with no small amount of glee, staring at him as he stared at anything but her. "I'll prove it."

Ben exhaled a tiny bit dramatically. "Your hypothesis is incorrect."

Even though he'd cum twice already since they entered this, as she finally looked around, gorgeous suite, Ben was in the absolute prime condition and she didn't doubt his sexual 'prowess' in the least. He tried to shift away from her when she nudged closer, tucking her head in the crook of his neck, and then whispered  
a breathy, “Rey Solo."

Sure enough, his cock twitched. 

"That... that meant nothing. You're lying next to me naked. I find your body very appealing," Ben defended quite defensively while swallowing hard.

Rey wasn't in a kind mood as she pressed onward. Her warm breath fanned the shell of his ear, and then she gently bit it before panting, "Rey Solo."

Yet again, his cock twitched, only this time he looked annoyed by it. "Goodnight, Rey."

"I'm totally right and you know it."

"Goodnight, Rey."

"Can you at least be sweet and roll over so you sleep in the wet spot?"

"Goodnight, 'Rey.'"

"Rey Solo would like you to sleep in the wet spot."

"... I'm getting another room."

Rey laughed herself to sleep in his arms. They were moving entirely too fast, relationship wise, and teasing him about that name and its life-altering implications was likely not something she should be doing. Very not smart. And yet every single time it was said it affected him. But it affected her too. As she gently ebbed into twilight, it was with a smile on her face and a someday dream in her heart. 

******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real life and everything happening in the world are the culprits for the massive delay in new chapters being posted. But things have calmed and a more frequent update schedule will start happening. If you're still on board for this ride, thank you. More plot outside of Reylo sexy vacation time is coming, but not that much, lol.


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